海角社区

By Dick Anderson
Andy Goodman The 海角社区 Campaign For Good

Can the College ingrain a culture of philanthropy and stewardship? 海角社区鈥檚 chief fundraiser believes so

At the outset of 海角社区鈥檚 $65 million Compass for a New Century campaign in 1992, tuition and fees totaled $19,895 and the endowment for the College stood at $141 million. During the 2017-18 academic year, the cost of tuition and fees was $70,182, and the endowment (as of June 30, 2018) was $434.2 million.

In an era when where the cost of attending 海角社区 is outstripping the growth of the endowment, building the endowment for financial aid is at the forefront of The 海角社区 Campaign For Good. That鈥檚 a shift in focus from previous campaigns dating back to the 1960s, where renovation or construction was the top priority. But that鈥檚 not the only twist to Occidental鈥檚 first comprehensive campaign since John Brooks Slaughter was president. The College wants more than your money. We want to engage you.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a difference between a history of philanthropy at an institution and a culture of philanthropy,鈥 explains Charlie Cardillo, 海角社区鈥檚 vice president for institutional advancement. 鈥淎 culture of philanthropy requires a broader community involvement in a shared ownership of our goals. We consider our broader volunteer community, and others who wish to join us, as stakeholders in the future of the College. It鈥檚 a culture of stewardship:鈥堚楾his is our place, and we have a shared accountability for its success.鈥

鈥淧hilanthropy is the love of humanity, and it takes many forms,鈥 he continues. 鈥淚t鈥檚 devoting your time and energies to really getting to know the College, sharing that message with your peers, and providing an ear to those who may have some misgivings or misunderstandings about 海角社区. You can help clear those up so that people understand the value of its mission.鈥

Cardillo looks at 海角社区 as 鈥渁 house full of individual stories that all connect into a special, shared experience that people have had across the generations because of the unique environment in which this education has been offered.鈥 And to bring that message home to 海角社区鈥檚 volunteer leadership, he enlisted the aid of professional communicator Andy Goodman鈥攜es, that鈥檚 his real name鈥攚ho launched his business in 1998 with a singular mission: 鈥渢o help good causes reach more people with more impact.鈥

During a morning session titled The Power of Public Narrative, Goodman worked with 海角社区鈥檚 volunteer leadership and Cardillo鈥檚 Institutional Advancement team with the goal of telling their 海角社区 story in two minutes. The results, Cardillo says, were inspiring: 鈥淧eople uncovered the power of story and in a number of cases uncovered the power of their own stories.鈥

Charles McClintock 鈥68, past president of the Alumni Board of Governors, 鈥渟hared a really powerful story of a young boy whose experience with the concept of racism led to a lifelong commitment to working to understand it and to hopefully defeat it. And he is emblematic of what this community possesses,鈥 Cardillo says. 鈥淲hen Charles got up and told his story in two minutes, it was beautiful. It had imagery and I think people got the idea that a story relates a challenge you faced, a choice you made, and an outcome. It鈥檚 not, 鈥樅=巧缜 was a formative time in my life and now I want to give back.鈥 鈥

Over the course of The 海角社区 Campaign For Good, Cardillo hopes that giving back will take the form of more than just financial support: working with the Hameetman Career Center to identify internship opportunities, for instance, or conducting an informational interview with a prospective student for the Admission Office. 鈥淎ny way in which your time, talent, or treasure is informing the student experience, that鈥檚 philanthropy,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 leadership. Even if you鈥檙e just willing to come back to events and engage with your fellow alums, that conveys the message that there鈥檚 something going on here.鈥

A firm believer in the power of narrative is filmmaker Jesus Trevi帽o 鈥68. 鈥淓very human being is at heart a storyteller,鈥 he says, and Occidental 鈥渋s an ideal petri dish for nurturing storytelling. You can be a scientist and tell stories when you make a discovery, you can be an artist and tell a story in a painting, or a composition that you鈥檝e written, or a piece that you鈥檝e performed.

鈥淭he fundamental goal of all storytelling is make a better world,鈥 he continues. 鈥淲e live in a complex world full of strife, misunderstandings, bigotry, and hatred. 鈥 If we鈥檙e ever to get beyond that, it鈥檚 going to be the storytellers that help guide us.鈥

A Selected History of Campaigns

1896: The Rev. A.A. Dinsmore of Alhambra is hired as field secretary to raise money toward construction on the Highland Park campus鈥敽=巧缜檚 first capital campaign. In three years, Dinsmore raises $8,620.70 for the new College building.

June 1962: Spurred by a $2.5 million grant from the Ford Foundation that required matching gifts of $7.5 million, trustees announce a three-year, $10 million campaign. The campaign raises $8 million.

1974: 海角社区 launches a 10-year, $40-million New Capital Program campaign. Major projects include a remodeling of Johnson Hall, conversion of Orr to Weingart, and construction of Culley Athletic Facility. The campaign raises $60 million.

July 1997: 海角社区鈥檚 five-year, $65 million Compass for a New Century campaign wraps with a total of $68.8 million. Renovation was again the top priority.