By Erin Wooley, Director of the Griffin Fund
Seniors have many opportunities to share their Griffin Pride. One of the most valuable and lasting is to contribute to the Senior Class Gift. Seniors may wonder why they are asked to donate money after four years of college tuition and expenditures for books and room and board.
It’s a fact. Tuition at CHC, like most colleges, covers only 70 percent of the full cost to educate our students. In addition, nearly every student receives some form of financial assistance. The Griffin Fund helps make up the difference.
What is the Griffin Fund? It is arguably the College’s most important source of financial support! It provides financial resources above and beyond tuition that support CHC’s daily operations, scholarships, academic programming and more.
Gifts to the Griffin Fund directly impact CHC’s ability to help future Griffins. Young alumni (those who have graduated within the last 10 years) are the fastest-growing segment of our alumni population, which makes their engagement in alumni programming and the Griffin Fund vital to the future of the College.
It’s traditional to request a gift amount in honor of the student’s graduation year, so 2017 graduates are asked to contribute $20.17 (although gifts of any amount are appreciated and qualify as a class gift).
Students often ask if $20.17 can really make a difference? After all, that’s equal to just three Caramel Venti Frappuccinos at Starbucks. The answer is yes! Participation is the key. If every senior made a $20.17 gift, CHC could add $4,400 toward financial aid, student life and facility improvements.
Now imagine if each of our nearly 11,000 alumni made a $25 gift. That would equal more than $270,000 to support our areas of greatest need.
And it is possible to designate a gift to support a program that is meaningful to you or in honor of someone who has made a difference, such as a professor, coach, mentor, friend or parent.
Gifts can be made online at www.chcgriffinsonline.com/gift and “Senior Class Gift” should be noted in the comments section. Senior Class Gifts can be made until June 30 (the end of the fiscal year).
For questions, contact Erin Wooley, director of the Griffin Fund at wooleye@chc.edu.
