Questions about pledging?
How does my senior pledge work?
Simply fill out a pledge card (available from a committee member or in the Annual Giving office) or make your pledge on-line. You will be asked to fulfill the gift you pledge after you graduate.
We hope your pledge to the Senior Campaign is the start of an annual commitment to the college, as you join thousands of fellow alumni who support St. Olaf annually.
How can my pledge of $15 or $25 make a difference?
All gifts -- large and small -- make a difference. Your gift of $20 or $50 is a strong statement of support for St. Olaf. Alumni participation is important in various national polls which rank the strength of schools.
The percentage of alumni making a financial gift to their alma mater is often used as a measure of alumni satisfaction. Last year, the St. Olaf alumni participation rate was 31%. Full participation from our class could bump overall alumni participation up two percentage points.
All gifts to the senior campaign are unrestricted and all gifts are counted in our overall alumni participation rate. When calculating alumni participation, all gifts are equal. Your $15 gift carries just as much weight as a $15,000 gift.
How does my senior gift help continue the classroom experience I had at St. Olaf?
St. Olaf continues to look for ways to increase efficiency, but one of the college's primary costs -- teaching -- remains a top expense. The St. Olaf dedication to a low faculty/student ratio, Great Conversations program, etc. does not allow us to be efficient. We cannot simply add more students to a class (secure their tuition dollars) and maintain the kind of quality teaching and learning environment that has been a tradition of excellence at St. Olaf. Each year, approximately 44% of all gifts to The St. Olaf Fund were used to support instruction.
