$11,619,804. Big number. That’s what UMass Boston raised from private sources last year. But my eyes glaze over numbers. What’s in a number? What are the stories that make these numbers possible? Preparing Ripples of Impact:
Phi
lanthropy 2011, UMass Boston’s annual giving report, provided me with a powerful encounter with these stories.
What drives individuals, corporations and foundations to support UMass Boston? To find out, I visited Charlestown High School to meet with a first year English teacher,(see Calderwood Writing Initiative) connected with scholars in Presque Isle Maine,(see Project Compass) parents from Connecticut, (see Parents Give Back) and alumni from Arlington and Quincy, Massachusetts. (see Four Who Said “Yes.”) In reaching out to our donors, I met others, both alumni and non-alumni alike, who shared a similar motivation for investing in Boston’s public university and promoting our students’ success.
In all I found common threads: UMass Boston is deeply devoted to promoting knowledge for public good, cultivating learning to benefit the real world, and catalyzing research directed to the most pressing needs of our communities.
In her speech at Commencement 2011, JFK Award recipient Alia MacPherson ’11 powerfully reminded the university community about the ripples of impact one life can have on the world.
By investing in the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston’s only public university, donors initiate ripples of opportunity for students and faculty. This year’s giving report shows how even one gift sets in motion—time and again—tremendous possibilities for student success, inspired teaching, groundbreaking research, and life-changing community engagement.
We invite you to spend some time with our giving report to see these themes brought to life. We are deeply grateful to the 6,602 donors are who supported our university in the last fiscal year. That gratitude can be expressed in no manner more powerful than from our students themselves. Receive their thanks!