For the 25th consecutive year, more than 50 percent of Hamilton alumni made contributions to the college. Of the 50.2 percent who made contributions, 55.5 percent increased the size of their gifts, a jump from 53 percent a year ago.
Nationally, Hamilton is among the top 1 percent of colleges and universities in alumni participation rates. According to the Council for Aid to Education's Voluntary Support of Education survey, alumni giving has been in a slow, continuous decline since 2002. The national average for alumni participation for 2005 was 12.4 percent and 12.8 percent for 2004.
"That Hamilton continues to be in the very top fraction of colleges for alumni giving is a real tribute to the experiences alumni have at Hamilton and their continued engagement with faculty and students well beyond graduation," said Vice President of Communications and Development Richard Tantillo.
Almost 95 percent of this year's graduating seniors also contributed to the college via their class gift. This is the 13th consecutive year that the senior class participation rate has topped 90 percent.
Overall giving to Hamilton in 2005-2006 totaled $21.3 million, up from $18.1 million (an 18 percent increase) in 2004-2005. This has been the college's third best year in total donations in large measure because of the college's ongoing capital campaign. Excelsior: The Campaign for Hamilton, which was publicly launched in December 2004, reached the $130 million milestone last month. In the last 18 months, donors have contributed $50 million to support the objectives outlined in the campaign.
In discussing the effect of this campaign on the college, campaign chair Jeff Little said, "More than the actual dollar level of contributions, this extraordinary level of generosity will have a transformative impact on the college, enabling it to offer faculty and students outstanding opportunities. Renovations of key facilities will create spaces that will promote even closer faculty-student interaction and will ensure the college's competitiveness among premier liberal arts schools," said Little, a member of the board of trustees and a 1971 Hamilton graduate. "Further, our focus on increasing endowed scholarships will offer future students unprecedented access to a Hamilton education."
