Senior giving initiative shows refreshing collaboration

This week, the Proud to Be Plaid Committee and Ian Glasner, student body president, announced a collaborative effort to boost senior giving through a donation matching program with the Board of Trustees. For every $5 that a senior gives between now and graduation, the trustees will donate $20.

This is an exciting development in the series of gift-giving initiatives that Carnegie Mellon has seen this year. Though many, including The Tartan in a previous editorial, felt that efforts were half-hearted, this new agreement is both welcome and encouraging.

It is refreshing to hear that the Board of Trustees is standing with the students in regard to boosting the giving rates. According to the Office of Giving, the trustees already donated well over $1 million together annually, and some donate even more in individual major gifts that stretch over years.

While adding $20 might not seem significant, it makes every senior's donation $25 instead of $5. Instead of totaling just over $5,100, the gift would multiply to over $25,000, creating a larger impact and a larger ripple effect.

The more money that is given toward this scholarship or gift (yet to be decided by senior class voters), the more the money can do. Considering donations as an investment in the future of our school is exactly the right way to approach this new initiative, and hopefully, it will encourage more seniors, as well as all undergraduates, to give.

The Board of Trustees should be applauded for their gesture of support, and the seniors who have given or will give as a part of this initiative should be excited to take part in a historic gift-giving program.

It is unclear at this time if the initiative will extend to next year or not, but The Tartan would like to urge the trustees and student government to continue these efforts. This gift means more than just $20. It means a tangible show of togetherness in the Carnegie Mellon community and an encouraging investment in the students.

Continued plans such as these show that there is real collaboration happening, and not just talks filled with flowery, empty promises. Hopefully, it will sustain through the next rotation of student government.