BPFA Committees

Volunteering for the BPFA

Bates Parents Fund Committee

The Bates Parents Fund is a fundraising campaign conducted by the college from July 1 to June 30 each year. It is a critical component of the overall Bates Fund, which raises annual unrestricted dollars from alumni, parents, friends, corporations and foundations in support of Bates’ educational programs. Contributions to the Bates Parents Fund help to meet current expenses for the essentials that make a Bates education one of the best in the nation.

Parents Fund Committee members work to increase the funds raised each year by providing philanthropic leadership and fostering supportive relationships between the college and parents. Volunteers personally contact current parents and parents of alumni throughout the fiscal year to help the college gain their vital support. The Director of Parent Giving provides all the necessary materials and assistance to reach out to fellow parents.
fmi:Erin Nelson, Director of Parent Giving, enelson2@bates.edu

Welcome and Outreach Committee

Welcome and Outreach Committee (WOC) volunteers make phone calls, send emails, and write letters to families of incoming first-year and transfer students to welcome them to the Bates community. These committee members answer questions and provide helpful tips. The BPFA Office provides briefing materials and attempts to match volunteers to new families in their geographic area whenever possible.

Welcome and Outreach Committee work includes parent involvement in special events such as Orientation, Parents & Family Weekend, incoming student welcome receptions and on campus Admitted Student parent luncheons. Parent volunteers on the Welcome and Outreach Committee may enjoy attending these various events in order to answer questions, educate or recruit new parent volunteers, and welcome these new families to Bates.
fmi: Marianne Nolan Cowan ’92, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, mcowan@bates.edu

Additional Programs

Many Bates parents and alumni participate in volunteer programs through the Admission Office and the Career Development Center. Volunteers from across the country work with the Admission Office by representing Bates at local college fairs and by hosting regional receptions for prospective students. Within the Bates Career Development Center, volunteers serve in a number of ways including the Career Advisory Network forwarding internship and full-time job information for current students and alumni, sponsoring interns in their places of employment or participating on career-related discussion panels. If you’re interested in volunteering for any of these programs, please contact the Admission Office or the Bates Career Development Center or call the BPFA Office and we will connect with you with the appropriate people in those offices.

Admission Office, 23 Campus Avenue
207-786-6000

Bates College Career Development Center
207-786-6232
E-mail: bcdc@bates.edu