The Truth About Particpation      

Alumni giving participation is very important! That is because this percentage is used to calculate Messiah’s ranking by organizations such as US News and World report. Our ranking impacts our ability to attract and retain top-notch faculty as well as students!

Further, organizations that provide additional funding to the College look at our participation rates when considering our grant proposals. They look at high alumni giving rates as a vote of confidence in the College, making it more likely that they will provide the College with additional funding. At the same time, if these rates are not high enough, they are likely to deny our proposals.

Any gift – from $1 and beyond – will help improve this ranking. That is because alumni participation rates are calculated based on the number of alumni who give, not the amount that they give.

Alumni Participation =   # of alumni who give

                                        # of living alumni

As an alumn married to another alumn, you only need to make one gift to count as two alumni donors!

So if you have yet to make a gift this year, your gift will help increase our alumni giving percentage AND help us reach the challenge of acquiring 500 new donors. Make your gift today!

It’s not about the amount. It’s all about participation.

*If you have already made a gift to Messiah College this fiscal year (July 1- June 30th), thank you! Your gift is already making a world of difference in students’ lives and has helped the College increase its alumni giving percentage. The A to Zee Challenge is open to all alumni who have yet to make a gift this fiscal year. If you have questions about the A to Zee Challenge, contact Rachel Pease, director of annual giving and development communications, at 717-796-5066 or rpease@messiah.edu.