Jewell at the Plate
Story by Kent Huyser, Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving

It was easy to be a Kansas City Royals fan when I was growing up.   George Brett was a perennial all-star and the Royals were participating in post-season play on a regular basis.  I poured over the statistics on the back side of my baseball cards.  To have any credibility on the playground, I had to know the daily box scores for our beloved Royals.

I learned early on that if a player batted .300 or better, their baseball card became more valuable, and often this meant the player would receive an invitation to the annual “All-Star Game.”   I also learned that it didn’t take much to differentiate an all-star .300 hitter from an average hitter.  Five extra hits every 100 at-bats, or about 30 extra hits per season, often separated an average player from an all-star.  It is those 30 extra hits per year that can put a player in the Hall of Fame. 

Believe it or not, a parallel exists between baseball and giving to Jewell.  For the third year in a row, the number of alumni who provided a gift to the College – a gift of any amount – has increased.  We’ve gone from batting .170 (17 percent of alumni provided a gift in 2003-2004) to .215 (21.5 percent of alumni provided a gift last year).  Still, to be considered “All-Star” status by students and parents, we must have even more in common with the nation’s great liberal arts colleges.  These institutions boast a .300+ batting average. 

Why is it important for Jewell to show evidence of an increasing alumni giving percentage?  For many it is the percentage statistic, not the number of dollars raised from alumni, that is the standard measure of institutional potential and strength.  As Jewell competes with other colleges and universities for foundation grants, we are required to demonstrate that our shareholders (alumni) demonstrate participation in the life of this institution.  As organizations such as U.S. News & World Report rank Jewell against the top liberal arts schools, they measure alumni engagement solely on the percentage of alumni who take time to demonstrate support by joining the giving roster each year.  Therefore this statistic becomes the measurable indication of whether the constituency closest to the College, the alumni, are willing to protect, support, and invest in the College’s future.

Alumni participation of 30 percent or more means a respectable “vote of confidence” from the alumni community, resulting in greater resources available to students and diplomas that rise in value.  Jewell is poised to take its place among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation, who regularly achieve this level of alumni giving each year.  In many ways we are already performing like all-stars.

At Jewell, we’re heading in the right direction (my fingers remain crossed for my Royals).  We recognize the recent positive trend in alumni support, and are incredibly grateful for the momentum building.  Together we will continue to work to achieve all-star status by batting .300 or better over the long term.  To be a perennial all-star we believe we need you on the team every fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).  Will you join fellow alumni by making sure that Jewell holds a place in your annual philanthropic giving?