Alumni Participation

Why Your Support Matters

Alumni, parents and friends of Immaculata have the power to make a vital and lasting impact on the University. Your support is an essential resource enabling us to provide an extraordinary educational experience for students. In particular, alumni participation plays a significant role in many areas.

What is Alumni Participation?

Participation is the action of taking part in something. Higher education often refers to the term Alumni Participation Rate or APR, which is the percentage of alumni that give back to their alma mater. The average participation rate for private institutions is 18%*, while the APR for Immaculata is currently around 5%. It takes approximately 100 gifts of any size to raise IU’s APR by 1%, and Immaculata has a goal to reach 20% APR for the Centennial celebration in November 2020.

Why is Alumni Participation important?

Alumni participation in giving directly impacts our overall student experience, providing important financial aid, scholarships, and enhanced academic programming to ensure continued excellence. Annual gifts to Immaculata show your “vote of support” for the good things happening on campus and value of your degree. Alumni participation impacts:

• Financial Strength – Annual giving is an essential resource for the University. Corporations and foundations also require alumni participation rates in grant proposal requests because they believe their philanthropic dollars should go to an institution with proven results. Alumni satisfaction via APR is a key measure of those results.
• Significance of an Immaculata University Degree – The APR is a reflection on the value you place on your degree, and is used in calculating our regional and national rankings. Parents and prospective students look at national rankings and participation as indications of alumni satisfaction and the quality of their degree.
• National Rankings – External evaluators such as U.S. News & World Report use APR as one component when calculating rankings. Increasing Immaculata’s APR will help elevate the University’s standing in these ranks.

How can you make a big difference?

We often hear how much people loved and valued their Immaculata education and experience, but unfortunately this is not translating to financial support. The generosity of alumni, parents, and friends is essential to the University’s ability to provide an extraordinary education. Immaculata alumni have the power to increase IU’s APR.

• Every Gift Counts – People often don’t donate because they can’t afford to make a “big gift” but for APR your gift of any size helps increase Immaculata’s APR. Participation is determined by the number of alumni who give, not the amount of the contribution.This means that 100 “little” gifts can raise our APR by 1%.
• Gifts Add Up – As of June 12, 2019, 1,037 donors collectively gave more than $725,000 to the Immaculata Fund. 65% of gifts were between $5 – $50. Keep participating – all gifts add up to make a big difference!
• Giving Consistently is Important – Over 26% of alumni have made a gift to Immaculata at some time. If all alumni who previously made a gift were to contribute on an annual basis, our alumni participation rate would exceed the national average. You can sign up to make a recurring gift.

How can I make a gift?

Continue to share in the life of Immaculata University by making a gift today. Your gifts are the foundation of our students’ success!

• Mail: Send a check to Institutional Advancement, Immaculata University, 1145 King Road, Immaculata PA 19345
• Online: Make your gift online today

Are there other ways for alumni to participate in the life of Immaculata University?

There are many ways you can give back to Immaculata! Here’s how you can participate:

• Refer a student to Immaculata – Family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers – we have much to offer and would love to welcome them to campus to share our story.
• Offer to mentor a student, or provide an internship – Give students the opportunity to see how their Immaculata education can be translated in a practical setting.
• Come back to campus – There are various events and happening on campus throughout the year – Carol Night, our many Mighty Macs sports competitions, Reunion Weekend, performances by the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and more. Check out our website for details, and remember, the door is always open to you.
• Attend an On the Road event – If coming to campus is not feasible, join the Office of Institutional Advancement at one or our many gatherings planned throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. We would love to have you join us and hear more about the great things taking place on campus.
• Remember Immaculata in your estate plans – Be it in your will, a life insurance policy, or an investment account, leaving Immaculata as a beneficiary in your estate plans has benefits well beyond your lifetime!

*Blackbaud 2017 donorCentrics Annual Report of Higher Education Alumni Giving