Class Gift Campaigns
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Each spring, graduating students come together to honor their Carlson School experience and support current and future students through their Class Gift campaign. By participating in the Class Gift Campaign, students are recognizing the ways that they have benefited from the donations of alumni who preceded them, and are committing to pay it forward to insure that future generations of students have their own life-changing experiences at the Carlson School. Participation in the Class Gift campaign also marks the beginning of graduates' lifelong relationship with the Carlson School - no longer as students, but now as engaged alumni.
Each year, the Institutional Advancement Student Board organizes a variety of events and activities to engage their fellow students in philanthropy at the Carlson School, including developing and executing the strategy for their Class Gift campaign. Learn more about the Institutional Advancement Student Board here or email Aleah Van Horne at vanho154@umn.edu for more details.
The Full-Time MBA Class Gift campaign is managed by the MBAA Vice President of External Relations, typically with the help of a volunteer committee made up of both first and second year Full Time MBA students. Contact your Vice President of External Relations or Aleah Van Horne (vanho154@umn.edu) to get involved.
Many other programs at the Carlson School, including the Masters of Accountancy and Masters of Human Resources and Industrial Relations, have coordinated Class Gift campaigns in the past. If you are interested in organizing a Class Gift campaign for your program at the Carlson School, please contact Aleah Van Horne at vanho154@umn.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition and state funding only cover about 83.4% of the actual costs to run the Carlson School. The generous support of alumni and friends helps make up this difference. Because of these gifts, the Carlson School is able to dedicate more robust resources to career services, mental health support, student organizations, scholarships, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, faculty, and more!
Through the years, Class Gift campaigns have raised money for a variety of areas of the Carlson School, including emergency student assistance, scholarships, study abroad, career services, mental health programming, diversity, equity, and inclusion work, and more.Â
Each year, with input from their classmates, the students executing their Class Gift campaign select a Carlson School fund to raise money for. Students who feel passionate about a different area of the Carlson School are welcome to support the fund of their choice - gifts to any area of the Carlson School count toward their Class Gift campaign.
Yes! While Class Gift campaigns focus more on participation than the gift amount, gifts of all sizes make an impact at the Carlson School. In fact, in our 2023 fiscal year, gifts of $500 or less totaled more than $113,000! The most important thing is that you are making the decision to support the Carlson School.Â
Please contact Aleah Van Horne, Assistant Director of Annual Giving, at vanho154@umn.edu to learn more and get involved!
At the Carlson School, we believe it is important to involve our students in conversations and education regarding the impact of philanthropy on their student experience. Through the Class Gift campaigns, we aim to create a philanthropic student community that is poised to continue to support the Carlson School as alumni.
Students making their first gift to the Carlson School join a community of passionate benefactors who enhance the Carlson School experience, strengthen our reputation as a top business school, and help us reach new levels of excellence for the next generation. For more information about Class Gift campaigns, please contact Aleah Van Horne, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at vanho154@umn.edu.