Soliciting Support for Cornell

Making the Ask
If you are hesitant to “ask for money” in your letter, here are a few important points to keep in mind:

1) You’re not asking for money for yourself. As an official representative of the college, you’re asking your classmates to support their alma mater - a very worthy cause.

2) Use the words “consider” and “please”. It is highly unlikely that you will offend any of your classmates when you include these words as part of your request.

3) Don’t be afraid to speak from your heart. Donors are more motivated by sincere, personal testimonials than statistics and facts. The best appeals have emotional impact.

Making the Case for Support
Consider incorporating one of the messages below into your letter. Select a message that you feel will resonate with your classmates and please add your personal touch.

Message #1 – Keeping a Cornell education accessible to all students
Many deserving students would not be here today without the financial aid and scholarships made possible by you, our donors. Last year the Annual Fund helped provide financial assistance to over 98 percent of Cornell students. Please consider a gift today to help make a Cornell education possible for those who follow in our footsteps.

Message #2 – The Cost of Excellence
The Annual Fund enables Cornell to remain competitive by helping to attract and retain the brightest students and most talented faculty. Your support of the Annual Fund ensures that fundamental characteristics of the Cornell experience carry on, like small classes taught by dedicated full-time faculty members, innovative curriculum and opportunities for off-campus study. Please consider a gift today to help provide extraordinary opportunities for every student on the Hilltop.

Message #3 – Every gift really does make a difference
The Annual Fund only succeeds as a collective effort; every gift, regardless of size, has true power.

Your gift to the Annual Fund:

• Lets you partner with other alumni to compound the value of your donation.
• Supports top-notch faculty and small class sizes.
• Boosts our reputation in college rankings and helps the college be more competitive for large grants.
• Funds technology upgrades, internships, world-class speakers, library resources, and much more!
• Provides scholarships and financial aid to talented, deserving students to help make the dream of a Cornell education come true.
• Makes the Cornell experience that we benefited from possible for students today.

Please join me in making a gift to the Annual Fund and making a difference in the lives of students and faculty.

 Ways To Give

Send your gift today
Write a check or use your credit card to make your tax-deductible gift. Credit card gifts can be made using Visa, MasterCard or Discover.

Give Online
It’s fast, easy and secure.
Go to secure.cornellcollege.edu/giving/

Make a pledge
Consider monthly or quarterly contributions if you wish to spread your payments over the year. Pledges enable you to make a more significant gift to Cornell than may otherwise be possible.

Electronic funds transfer
Your gift to Cornell can be automatically transferred each month from your bank account to Cornell. This convenient giving option eliminates the hassle and expense in receiving reminders, writing checks and paying for postage.

Securities
There can be significant tax advantages to making a gift of appreciated stock. For more information, contact the Office of College Advancement at 1-877-683-7666.

Matching Gifts
Increase your giving power through matching gifts. If you or your spouse is employed by a company with a matching gift program, your gift could have even greater impact. Check with your human resources department for a matching gift form.

It’s worth noting…

• The Annual Fund provides deserving students with tuition assistance. For 2009-10, tuition, fees, room and board at Cornell will cost $37,080.

• The young and the generous: The Class of 2009 left their mark on Cornell by raising over $26,452 in pledges for the Annual Fund in the 2009 Senior Challenge. The seniors took advantage of challenge gifts offered by President Les Garner and John '89 and Holly Gilliland.