The Alumnae Association raised $955,000, falling short of its goal of raising $1 million for its gift to the college this year.
Anne Brown ’68, alumnae director, said the state of the economy has affected the number of donors and the amount of money the association would be able to give the college.
Brown said that about 10 donors challenged the Alumnae Association in 2000 to increase its giving rate by 3 percent each year in three years.
The donors would give the association more than $100,000 each year the goal was met.
In the second year of the challenge, the rate increased only two percent.
All but one of the donors decided to collectively contribute $94,000 for the gift despite the association not making the goal.
According to Alumnae Finance Committee member Harriet Chan, class of ’98, the association was 70 donors shy of reaching the goal.
Although the Alumnae Association could not meet its goal, no one was disappointed, said Suzanne Tye, director of alumnae giving.
“The Mills community really stepped up to the plate,” said Tye.
“Even though some people lost their jobs because of the state of the economy, they still made it a priority to give to the alumnae fund.”
A change in the end date of the college’s fiscal year, from May to June, also affected the associations gift to the college. As a result, there were 13 months of expenses.
The association spent $70,000 during the extra month of expenses, which would have been applied toward its annual gift, said Brown.
Since the Alumnae Association did not reach its $1 million
