I admit I wince a bit when I answer my cell phone, and a young voice on the other end tells me she’s calling from Westfield State University. I know I will be asked to make a donation.
But I am a grateful giver, and, each year, I always make a pledge when I receive that call, and I follow through. This year is no exception.
I’m not the kind of donor who will ever have my name on a building, though, or even on a room inside a building. I am a small but steady supporter, and I want people to know that this category of donor is also much appreciated and respected.
In our last issue of Focus magazine, you learned about the $1 million gift from Catherine Dower, Ph.D., for the development of a performing arts center on campus. In this issue, we hear about the second largest gift in the University’s history, from Brian and Kathy Stevens, who were only recently connected to Westfield State but were so impressed they donated $350,000. Donors Mark
Alves ’85 and his wife, Abigail (Hobson) Alves ’85 are also featured, along with donor Russell Hammond ’73.
I am grateful beyond belief for these donors and their very substantive, campus-changing generosity. Yet, I invite each of you—who might have to struggle to make a $50 donation, as I do—to step up and give, because it feels good to give back and because the University will do important work with whatever you have to offer.
I am sure Erica Broman, Ed.D., our new vice president for Institutional Advancement, will agree with me. We welcome all givers. Dr. Broman previously served as executive director of the Holyoke Community College Foundation for more than 15 years. Under her leadership, the HCC Foundation accrued the largest endowment of any community college in the state, secured two $1 million gifts from alumni, and oversaw the awarding of more than 200 endowed scholarships annually.
Dr. Broman now serves as Westfield State’s executive director of the Westfield State University Foundation, Inc., through which funds are raised. I am pleased to welcome her on board!
Likewise, when I saw that we were to feature the Alveses as donors in this issue, I immediately took the story for myself, because I remember Mark and Abigail from my student days back in
the early 80s.
“We both feel that Westfield State gave us a wonderful start in our careers,” Abigail told me. “We are proud to be able to help students at Westfield State.”
As a minor donor, I am also proud to help students, as I know my small gifts—when collected with hundreds of other gifts of a similar size—add up and create substance.
The annual fundraising gala has passed for this year, and the student calls have been made, but it is always time to give a gift online. Visit westfield.ma.edu/about/giving-to-westfield to make your grateful contribution. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
