A Fundraiser's Glossary

A Fundraiser’s Glossary

New to the Alumni Fund? Not sure of the difference between a SYBUNT and a sandwich? Here are definitions of some of the most frequently used words in fundraising.

Alumni Fund Year – Strictly speaking, July 1 through June 30; named for the calendar year in which the Fund Year concludes. (For example, the 2013 Alumni Fund began on July 1, 2012 and ended on June 30, 2013.) Active solicitation in the Alumni Fund begins October 1 and runs through March 15. Gifts received during this period count towards the Trophy Race. Gifts received from March 15 to June 30 count toward the year-end class totals.

Associate Agent – A member of the class who contacts and directly solicits gifts for the Alumni Fund from a small group of his/her classmates.

BRE – A Business Reply Envelope, the pre-addressed, postage-paid gift envelope enclosed with each hard-copy letter from the Head Agent.

Capital Gifts – Restricted gifts that are designated for the college’s endowment or for major “capital” projects such as buildings. Capital gifts do not count toward the Alumni Fund totals and do not receive Alumni Fund credit for participation.

Endowment Gifts – Gifts made to the endowment exist in perpetuity. They grow in value over time and are used to generate resources, a certain percentage of which is used annually to support current expenditures. Because Williams draws approximately 5% of its endowment each year to pay for current expenses, a $5 gift to the Alumni Fund has the same buying power in a given year as a $100 gift to the endowment.

Fiscal Year (FY) – For accounting and budgetary purposes, the Williams College fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, and is named after the calendar year in which it concludes. See Alumni Fund Year, above.

Head Agent – the volunteer(s) responsible for leading and managing his/her class’s Alumni Fund efforts.

LD – Leadership donor.

Leadership Gift – A gift of $2,500 or more made in one Alumni Fund year.

Leadership Gifts Committee – The agents who identify and solicit leadership gifts from their class.

LYBUNT – Acronym for donors who gave “Last Year BUt Not This” year.

Prospect – An individual who has the capacity to give a certain amount and is being considered for a leadership ask.

Restricted Gift – Any gift made for a specific purpose. Restricted gifts do not count toward the Alumni Fund.

SYBUNT – Acronym for donors who gave in “Some Years BUt Not This” year. These are folks who have made a gift at least once in the last six years, but not in the current year or the last year.

Unrestricted Gifts – Gifts which can be used for anything that supports the priorities and needs of the college, as identified and prioritized by the trustees and president. Current unrestricted gifts are used within the fiscal year in which they are received. Only current unrestricted gifts count toward the Alumni Fund.