Firsthand Fund Giving FAQs
Q: What is the Firsthand Fund?
The Firsthand Fund is a yearly campaign to provide support for student
tuition assistance and the student work experience program. Gifts to
the Firsthand Fund also support many student-life activities and are used
for such things as purchasing books and journals for the library,
providing athletic equipment for Viking teams, and supplying lab
equipment for student researchers. Typically, Firsthand Fund gifts are
used to benefit students in the same year that they are given. Year
after year, they help keep a Berry education both accessible and
exceptional for hardworking students.
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Q: Are Firsthand Fund gifts tax-deductible?
Yes! Any gift to Berry College (a 501c(3) charitable organization)
is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Gifts of stock, mutual
funds or other appreciated securities can be an especially tax-friendly
way of giving to Berry, since donors are able to avoid paying
capital-gains taxes on the appreciation of their securities.
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Q: Can I make a pledge over several years?
Absolutely! We'd love to talk with you about this; contact Sloane Hernandez at slhernandez@berry.edu or you can give online.
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Q: If I can only afford a small gift, will it really matter to Berry?
Every gift of every size is important for many reasons, but here are two major ones:
- Annual gifts of all sizes and types unite to make a tremendous
difference in the lives of Berry students. Through collective giving to
the Firsthand Fund, more than $2 million is available for Berry students
each year. Every gift – large and small – contributes to that important
total and is greatly valued.
- Your participation says you care about Berry and want to see it
thrive. Many corporations and foundations use the overall percentage
of Berry alumni who give each year as a factor in deciding whether to
make grants. Also, alumni participation is a component of highly
publicized college ranking systems. A high percentage increases the
perceived value of a Berry degree.
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Q: Can I dedicate my Firsthand Fund gift to someone?
Yes! You can make a gift in honor (or memory) of someone special to you.
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Q: What are matching gifts?
Some corporations or companies will match an employee's gift to
Berry on a one-to-one, two-to-one, or three-to-one basis. These
programs enable a corporation or company to support the institutions in
which their employees are most interested. Your human resources
department or employee relations office can tell you if your employer
has a matching gift program in place and provide you with any necessary
forms.
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Q: Why does Berry need my Firsthand Fund support every year?
Gifts to the Firsthand Fund normally are used for students in the
year in which they are given; the fund starts over each year. These
gifts directly support student scholarships and the work program, as
well as other important student needs. When you give to the Firsthand
Fund, you are helping to assure that every student has the opportunity
to work on campus every semester. You also are helping to keep the
firsthand experience at Berry College affordable and accessible to
deserving students from all walks of life.
Because of people like you, the cost borne by
students for their Berry experience is significantly less than the
overall actual cost of a Berry education. How much? Gifts of all types
enable the college to fund an average of $10,000 per student in need-
and/or merit-based financial aid! That’s on top of an approximate
$9,000 reduction in Berry’s tuition rate made possible by the college’s
endowment. Giving back for the next generation of students is a longstanding Berry tradition.
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Q: What are the different ways I might be asked to give?
Alumni are solicited in a variety of ways, including calls from
Telefund student workers, letters and postcards, e-mail, and personal
visits. Student callers also ask parents for support, and alumni
volunteers sometimes contact classmates about giving. Over the course
of a year, you might be contacted in several ways about making a gift.
Why? Because alumni participation in the Firsthand Fund each year is so
very important.
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Q: Why am I encouraged to make a larger gift in my class reunion year?
Your class reunion is a special time to come together with old
friends and share the excitement of being back on campus together. It's
a natural time for a class to affirm its commitment to Berry. During
the year leading up to your class reunion, you probably will be
contacted by a class volunteer who will ask you both to attend your
reunion and to make a "stretch" gift in honor of the anniversary.
Classes traditionally set ambitious dollar and participation goals in
order to make a gift that reflects the strength of their class and its
loyalty to the school. We hope you’ll join in.
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Q: What are giving clubs?
Giving clubs are based on the size of gift you actually make to
Berry (not an amount pledged) during a given year. They are:
Martha Berry Society
Pilgrim Society: $25,000 or more
Founder’s Associates: $10,000 to $24,999
Oak Hill Associates: $1,000 to $9,999
Opportunity Club: $500 to $999
Second Century Club: $100 to $499
Count Me In: $1 to $99
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Q: What if I have more questions?
Contact Sloane Hernandez, Assistant Director of Advancement Services, at 706-290-2162 or slhernandez@berry.edu.