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STRENGTHENING OUR ALUMNAE NETWORK Oakland, CA - Mills College and representatives of the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) currently are discussing ways to strengthen outreach to the network of 19,000 Mills alumnae across the country and the world. These discussions include the College’s goal of enhancing the alumnae annual fund to meet expectations set by the spectacular success of our recent capital campaign. A vigorous AAMC is essential to the long-term health of Mills College. In addition to providing financial support for student learning, faculty research, academic programs, and other vital projects on campus, our alumnae help us find excellent students for Mills. Our alumnae also serve as a sounding board for advice about new directions at Mills. The College wants to help the AAMC focus on what it does best – keep alumnae in touch with each other and the College through programs like Reunion, Branch activities, Class Secretaries, and the Quarterly. Both the College and the Mills Board of Trustees firmly believe that the way to strengthen our alumnae network for the future is by relieving the AAMC of fundraising responsibilities. Currently, the AAMC devotes significant resources to fundraising efforts to support its own operations and provide an annual gift to the College. However, in an era of intense competition for charitable gifts and increased sophistication in fundraising strategies, we believe Mills should follow most other colleges and universities in centralizing all fundraising within the College. As demonstrated by the spectacular success of the Capital Campaign, the College has the expertise, staffing resources, and technology needed to run a comprehensive and cost-efficient fund drive. Therefore, the College will assume the operations of the Annual Fund as of July 1, 2005. The College, in turn, will fund the AAMC’s alumnae outreach activities. The Mills Board has formed a special committee of Trustees to discuss options for the future with AAMC representatives. At the heart of these discussions is the Board’s commitment to achieving a positive outcome that honors the independent spirit and confidence in women that are integral features of a Mills education. The Board and the College are determined that the outcome of our discussions with the AAMC will be a sound plan for expanding our annual fund and strengthening the network of alumnae who care deeply about women’s education at Mills. The College welcomes questions from alumnae who want to learn more about our plans for ensuring a bright future for Mills as the best educational institution for women in the world. All questions and comments can be directed to Dr. Ramon Torrecilha, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement, by phone at 510-430-2101 or by email at rtorreci@mills.edu. We are grateful for the many alumnae contributions that ensured the success of our capital campaign, and we look forward to using the Annual Fund as a connection for regular communications to our network of dedicated Mills alumnae. PRESS CONTACT: |
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