National Philanthropy Week to thank donors

By Jeremy Huang     11/5/13 6:00pm

Rice students, faculty and staff will be able to celebrate the donors who sustain the Rice experience during National Philanthropy Week happening the week of Nov. 11. Participants will be able to write thank-you notes to donors, receive free T-shirts and partake in a Rice trivia contest throughout the week sponsored by the Rice Annual Fund for Student Life and Learning, according to Annual Fund intern Anastasia Bolshakov.

"A lot of people don't realize how important philanthropy is," Bolshakov, a Duncan College junior, said. "Philanthropy is what started Rice, with William Marsh's gift. While our tuition is higher than is it has been in past years, it is still very low [in comparison] to other universities of our caliber. Philanthropy makes up some of that difference."

According to Rice Annual Fund Assistant Director Erika Moul, the fund, which consists of donations from alumni, families, seniors and friends of Rice, is an essential resource for Rice.

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"The Rice Annual Fund is the university's immediate-use fund, meaning that every dollar donated to [the Annual Fund] in a fiscal year is spent in its entirety the following academic year on campus programs and maintenance, research stipends, scholarships and more," Moul said.

According to Moul, the Annual Fund goes not only toward students' scholarships and coverage of educational costs, but also to their social and lifestyle resources such as residential college budgets, intramural sports, and the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center.

"Full tuition covers less than half the cost of undergraduate attendance at Rice, and the Annual Fund is one of the sources of funding that covers the remainder of these costs," Moul said.

According to Moul, participants in National Philanthropy Week will learn about the giving culture that the university encompasses. 

"We hope that [participants] will see the importance of every gift of every size and its impact," Moul said. "Not only in new structures and improvements to campus, but also through scholarship support and the influence of giving participation on rankings and the university's receiving of substantial gifts from corporations and foundations."

Moul said that by writing thank-you notes, students will recognize people who contribute to the Annual Fund, as well as to other areas such as Leadership Rice, Rice 360 and the Alternative Spring Break program.

"The hope is, by educating students about philanthropy while they are on campus, that they will understand its importance ... and give back themselves, particularly as seniors and alumni," Moul said.  

According to Bolshakov, one way for students to get involved in the philanthropic community is to join the Rice Annual Fund Student Initiative. She said philanthropic endeavors come in more forms than cash donations.

"RAFSI has helped plan and organize events like the Senior Class Gift, NPW and Jar Wars," Bolshakov said. "Most people think philanthropy only encompasses monetary gifts, but it also includes volunteering time and other resources."

Bolshakov said it is never too early to donate or give to the funds that furnish the Rice student experience - even in small amounts.

"The more people who choose to give, the greater the collective impact will be," Bolshakov said.

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