News » Bates Fund

Alumni make May 15 a “great day”

Victoria Stanton — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:08 +0000

Generations of Bates students and alumni have rallied around the slogan “It’s a Great Day to Be a Bobcat!” On May 15, alumni from around the world committed to making the day especially grand.

The Bobcat takes a break after May 15′s “It’s a Great Day to Be a Bobcat” campaign, when Bates sought 555 additional alumni donors to the Bates Fund in one day. Photo by Phyllis Graber Jensen/Bates College

The college sought 555 additional alumni donors to the Bates Fund in one day, part of the ongoing campaign to reach 55 percent alumni participation by the close of the giving year on June 30.

Alumni easily exceeded the goal with 599 total gifts, bringing their total Bates Fund participation thus far to 37 percent, a three-point increase in one day.

The slogan “It’s a great day to be a Bobcat” comes from former football coach Web Harrison ’63, who adapted the cheer from his days as a U.S. Marine — “It’s a great day to be a Marine!”

Today it is used to observe any successful Bates endeavor.

The Wednesday event, dubbed “It’s a Great Day to Be a Bobcat!,” celebrated alumni pride while also raising awareness about Bates Fund giving, which supports faculty salaries and student financial aid, among other programs.

The May 15 challenge came on the heels of several recent Bates Fund successes. This spring, young alumni secured Bates’ first March Mania victory, defeating Colby, Connecticut College and Trinity in a competition to see which college could garner the most gifts to their annual funds from their 10 youngest class years.

Last year, Bates alumni achieved a record-breaking 55 percent participation and earned an extra $500,000 for the college.

Alumni had until midnight on May 15 to make their gifts and be counted in the challenge.

Make a gift to the Bates Fund.

BatesNews Monthly Update: August 2010

Bates News — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:14:14 +0000

For Bates alumni, parents, and friends, here is a look back at stories that represent some of the major Bates events and achievements of the past month, important upcoming events, and a sampling of Bates people making news.

In this issue:

1. Restructuring enhances Bates’ commitment to diversity and inclusion
2. Chemistry major wins top award at international conference
3. Bates Fund flourishes in 2009-2010 fiscal year
4. Campus Construction Update
5. Museum of Art offers summer retrospective by noted painter Nicoletti
6. With Young Dancers Workshop, festival bridges gap in dance education
7. Save the date: Parents & Family Weekend Oct. 8-10
8. Bates in the News

1. Restructuring enhances Bates’ commitment to diversity and inclusion
Bates is working to reinforce and enhance the institution’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of its operations and campus life through a restructuring of three administrative areas of the College, effective immediately, President Elaine Tuttle Hansen has announced.
http://bit.ly/restructure
As part of the restructuring, the president has announced that longtime Bates administrators Roland S. Davis ’92 and Carmen L. Purdy have accepted new responsibilities.
http://bit.ly/davis-purdy

2. Chemistry major wins top award at international conference
Marilla Pender-Cudlip ’10, a recent Bates graduate and a chemistry major from Torrington, Conn., was honored with a top prize and 100 euros in prize money for her research poster at the 10th European Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference, held June 22-26 in Thessaloniki, Greece.
http://home.bates.edu/views/2010/07/08/eurobic-award/

3. Bates Fund flourishes in 2009-2010 fiscal year
In another successful year for the Bates Fund, nearly 7,600 alumni and 1,500 parents made a gift to the Fund, contributing an impressive $4.7 million. This incredible show of support is an inspiration to the entire Bates community and sends a strong message that now, more than ever, our alumni and parents believe that a Bates education is second to none. The College depends on the Bates Fund as a critical source of current-use dollars that have an immediate impact on every area of student life, ranging from faculty compensation to financial aid. In a two-year dollar growth comparison conducted with 30 peers schools of similar size and structure, the Bates Fund outperformed all but two schools. The $4.7 million that the Fund raised represents a 10 percent increase over the dollars raised in the prior fiscal year. Please join us in thanking our volunteers, alumni, parents and friends who played a part in this remarkable accomplishment for the College! More information: etraiste [at] bates [dot] edu

4. Campus Construction Update
Thunderstorms on July 21 that unleashed torrents of rain and spawned three tornadoes in southern Maine also made their mark, happily minor, on the Hedge/Roger Williams construction site. Winds, which gusted up to 90 mph in some parts of the state, knocked over 40 feet of the fence around the site.
http://home.bates.edu/views/2010/07/30/ccujuly26-2010/

5. Museum of Art offers summer retrospective by noted painter Nicoletti
A summer exhibition examining the career of Joseph Nicoletti, a Bates lecturer and one of Maine’s foremost realist painters, runs through Sept. 25 at the Bates College Museum of Art.
http://home.bates.edu/views/2010/05/28/nicoletti-retrospective/

6. With Young Dancers Workshop, festival bridges gap in dance education
Five days a week for three weeks in June and July, 100 student dancers spend hours perfecting their technique in studios, gymnasiums and classrooms around the Bates campus. These accomplished students come from the U.S. and abroad to attend the Young Dancers Workshop, part of the nationally acclaimed Bates Dance Festival.
http://home.bates.edu/views/2010/07/22/bdf10-youngdancers/

7. Save the date: Parents & Family Weekend Oct. 8-10
Please join us on campus for Parents & Family Weekend Oct. 8 – 10, a celebration honoring parents, grandparents, and all extended family. This is an excellent opportunity to experience your student’s life at Bates by attending classes, sharing in co-curricular activities, attending presentations and performances, meeting friends, and enjoying the beauty of the campus. This weekend includes the Bates Parents & Family Association Volunteer Luncheon Workshop and the much anticipated Garcelon Field Dedication Ceremony. Information on Parents & Family Weekend is available online at:
http://www.bates.edu/parents-weekend.xml

8. Bates in the News
The Providence Journal profiles incoming student Erik Bou ’14, who reflects on his Cambodian American mother’s hardships and explains how football taught him to achieve academic goals. The Bangor Daily News talks to Maine District Court judge Bernard Staples ’55, who’s leaving the bench after 21 years only to enter the seminary. And as the Bates Dance Festival winds down, the Portland Press Herald reviews the recent AXIS dance troupe performance and explains how the company has “created a dialogue and re-evaluation of how disability does and does not affect artistic movement.”
http://home.bates.edu/views/in-the-news/

Online giving comes to Bates

Bates News — Wed, 28 Nov 2001 13:08:57 +0000

Beginning Dec. 5, alumni, parents and friends may go online with their credit card to make gifts to the Bates Fund.

“It’s a great option for donors as we head into the final month of the 2001 tax year,” said Kimberly Hokanson, director of annual giving. “Gifts can be made online using a secure server, which protects the donor’s privacy. It’s easy and it’s fast. People are used to the convenience of making purchases online — it’s a logical step to offer online giving, as well.”

After the system goes live Dec. 5, alumni, parents and friends will be able to make credit card donations at http://www.bates.edu/supporting-bates.xml

“Most of our peer schools offer online giving,” said Vicky Devlin, vice president for development. “Those schools have seen a significant increase in participation following the introduction of online giving — particularly among their most recent graduates. The alumni participation rate is perhaps the college’s most reported fact, due to the weight it is given in college guide rankings.”

During the 2000-2001 fiscal year ending last June, 9,817 alumni, parents and friends gave $12.94 million to Bates, including a record $3 million to the annual Bates Fund.