DePauw Alumni Make 2015 GOLD Challenge a Record-Setter

November 12, 2015

LGL 7765 It's a new record for DePauw University's Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD). A total of 1,032 young alumni made donations in support of their alma mater yesterday during DePauw's sixth GOLD Challenge, a 24-hour giving effort to garner university support from those who graduated from DePauw in the previous ten years. That eclipsed the one-day drive's goal of 1,000 donors.

The 2015 participation represents a 36% increase over the previous year’s total and was amplified by the leadership and participation of GOLD Council president Adam Gilbert ’10 and a host of other alumni volunteers and social media advocates.

This year’s challenge also reached an all-time high in matching funds. President Brian Casey and his current and former board chairs -- Marshall W. Reavis ’84, Sarah Reese Wallace ’76, and R. David Hoover ’67 -- provided the first $100,000 to kick start the dollars-for-participation effort this year. Alumna Elizabeth “Betty” Pfeffer Allen ’56, a previous challenger for the day of giving, provided an additional $50,000 match upon hitting the goal and Raj Bellani, dean of experiential learning and career planning at DePauw, provided a final gift to help secure a total of $152,500 in matching funds alone.

“Our GOLD alumni are inspiring,” said Kristin Perks Champa ’91, executive director of annual giving and director of development for the DePauw School of Music. “I am eager to see the final tally but know that the collective impact of those who participated provides benefits to our students far beyond the numbers.”

Melanie Norton, vice president for development and alumni engagement, agrees. “The teamwork and camaraderie 326A9643 displayed yesterday was a moving celebration of alumni appreciation for DePauw,” she said. “This type of support is extremely important to the University and touches absolutely every corner of campus. Our GOLD alumni showed up in force to display their pride in alma mater and we are immensely grateful.”