October 2, 2003

Annual giving...a key to making a difference in daily life at Northwestern

As University Development officials ponder the future — now that Campaign Northwestern is officially completed — they emphasize the importance of increasing annual giving participation.

Following are some questions and answers about Northwestern’s annual fund.

Q. What is the Northwestern Annual Fund?

Tuition covers just 60 percent of the cost to educate a student at Northwestern. The Annual Fund enables Northwestern to offer the scholarships and enhanced programs, courses and facilities that set it apart from its peers.

A. The Northwestern Annual Fund is an opportunity for graduates to show their appreciation for an outstanding educational experience, for parents to express their commitment to the education of their sons and daughters, and for friends around the globe to convey their support for the university. The Annual Fund is comprised of all current-use gifts to the university. Each year these funds are spent in their entirety where needs and opportunities are the greatest.

Q. What does the Northwestern Annual Fund do?

A. By providing flexibility for innovation, the Annual Fund empowers Northwestern’s leadership with the funds needed to ensure that Northwestern remains a top-tier institution in an increasingly competitive academic environment. The Annual Fund makes a daily difference in the lives of all students by making possible the special features that make the Northwestern experience extraordinary and unique. Some specific examples include:

• Providing financial aid to 60% of undergraduate students

• Attracting and retaining world-class faculty in each department

• Creating new and innovative curricula like Engineering First

• Acquiring new technologies to engage current students and attract prospective students

• Promoting student groups and activities that enhance campus life

• Maintaining a need-blind admissions policy to ensure that the best and brightest students are admitted each year

• Purchasing library materials and licensing fees for research databases, such as LexisNexis and Factiva

Gifts to the Annual Fund make a daily differene in the lives of students by creating and funding new and innovative curricula like Engineering First.

Q. Doesn’t tuition cover the costs of educating students?

A. Tuition covers just 60% of the cost to educate a student at Northwestern. The Annual Fund enables Northwestern to offer the scholarships and enhanced programs, courses, and facilities that set Northwestern apart from its peers. Because Northwestern spends only the interest from its endowment, it would take an additional $280 million in endowed funds to generate the $14 million in current-use funds raised by the Annual Fund during the 2002 academic year.

Q. How can an Annual Fund gift make a difference?

A. All gifts to the Annual Fund are important. The following examples are just some of the ways that Annual Fund gifts can enhance the student experience:

$250 Sends a graduate student to present a paper at a professional conference.

$500 Purchases access to various software applications used by mathematics, languages, psychology, sociology, or political science.

$1,000 Pays for videotape used in producing the Northwestern News Network student-run newscast.

$2,500 Provides travel and housing assistance for an out of state student internship.

$5,000 Covers film and processing costs in advanced Radio/ Television/Film courses.

$10,000 Allows 250 hours of use of specialized equipment, such as a mass spectrometer used for undergraduate research at $40 per hour.

$15,000 Funds materials and travel for the Steel Bridge Competition.

$25,000 Sponsors a distinguished lecture series for the academic year.

$50,000 Equips a new chemistry, biology, or computer laboratory.