A Message from President Rebecca S. Chopp - Alumni

A Fundraiser’s Dictionary
ALUMNUS - One male graduate of Colgate.
ALUMNA - One female graduate of Colgate.
ALUMNI - Two or more males or a group of two or more including both genders.
ALUMNAE - Two or more females.
CLASS AGENT - A volunteer who serves Colgate by soliciting gifts to the Annual Fund from his or
her classmates and is a member of the class gift committee.
CLASS GIFT - The sum of all gifts given by members of a specific class during a fiscal year.
DONOR - Anyone who has made a gift to Colgate during the current fiscal year.
FISCAL YEAR (FY) - Colgate’s fiscal year runs from June 1 through May 31.
GIFT - Any cash, securities or other contribution for which an official receipt has been (or will be)
issued. Gifts include payments on pledges.
GIFT CHAIR - The lead Annual Fund volunteer in a class. The chair organizes and manages the class
agents.
LYBUNT (Last Year But Unfortunately Not This year) - A past donor who made a gift in the last fiscal
year, but not in the current fiscal year.
PARTICIPATION - The percentage of alumni who make gifts of any amount to Colgate during any
given year.
PLEDGE - A written or verbal promise to make a gift to Colgate.
PRESIDENTS’ CLUB CHAIR - A volunteer who serves Colgate by soliciting gifts of $2,000 and more
for membership into the Presidents’ Club and is a member of the class gift committee.
PROSPECT - A classmate, parent, or friend of Colgate who is assigned to a staff member, class agent,
or volunteer for solicitation.
SPECIFIC PLEDGE - A pledge made with a specific dollar amount.
SYBUNT (Some Years But Unfortunately Not This year) - A past donor who has made a gift to Colgate
at least once in the past five years, but has not made a gift during the current fiscal year.
UNSPECIFIC PLEDGE - A pledge made without a specific dollar amount.
52 Colgate University’s fiscal year June 1 – May 31