BY LIZZIE EHRLE
Daily Staff Reporter
Published October 3, 2001
While the Federal Reserve cut interest rates Tuesday for the ninth time this year and the second time since Sept. 11, many economists are predicting a recession, leaving fundraising officials questioning how donations to the University will be affected.
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"We"re not sure what affect the economy will have on our year," said Katherine Kurtz, associate vice president for development.
"We"re really listening to our alumni. Many alumni are saying "proceed cautiously."".
"Like anyone, we"re watching the economy and seeing how people will be affected," said Judy Malcolm, director of development communications and donor relations.
In general, the donation level has been about the same as last year. "If there has been a decrease in giving, we"re not going to see it for a while."
Telefund, the telemarketing branch of the central fundraising office that calls University alumni for donations, suspended calling for a week after the terrorist attacks.
When the department resumed calling, they filtered names of alumni who live in and around New York City and Washington, including areas like New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.
"We pulled out some 1,500 names," said Telefund Director Leah Hoover.
Hoover said that alums were happy to hear from the University once they started calls again, and that feedback was positive.
"They wanted to hear how students were feeling and how the campus was dealing with it," Hoover said.
"People were very eager to talk," Malcolm said, "They liked that connection to the University."
Telefund took steps so that both the graduates and the callers felt comfortable, Hoover said. President Lee Bollinger and other University officials suggested specific scripting for callers when speaking to alumni.
"Pledge rates didn"t suffer at all," Hoover said. "We"re hoping we won"t fall off pace with last year too much."
Kurtz also said the state of the economy will impact the launch date of the Capital Campaign, a University-wide fundraising effort. The campaign"s plans are still being developed, and it is scheduled to start sometime in 2002 or 2003.
