In FY09, 618 volunteers took on peer-to-peer solicitations on behalf of the Harvard College Fund.  We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank a portion of those volunteer solicitors who truly went above and beyond.  Whether it was tackling solicitations early and often, reaching out to non-donors who felt disconnected from Harvard, or motivating their fellow solicitors in the final push, the following people deserve and extra round of applause. Read more »

At the HCF Annual Meeting, we acknowledged and thanked members of the Executive Committee whose terms have come to an end, and we welcomed new leaders.  Read on to learn more about these extraordinary volunteers. Read more »

Read a recent interview with Bob Panoff, a Participation Co-Chair for the Class of 1969. Bob has been an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the HCF volunteer community for many years, and we would like to recognize and applaud his tireless efforts to make the case for Harvard to his classmates.

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Joanna Hootnick ‘02 has been a dedicated volunteer for the Harvard College Fund since Senior Gift. She is a true class leader. During her recent 5^th Reunion Gift Campaign she took on dozens of personal solicitations, completing all of her assignments and bringing in gifts from a broad range of classmates. In her role as 5^th Reunion Participation Chair, she provided encouragement to her fellow volunteers and kept the team updated on her own solicitation progress. Her presence at Class events infused spirit into the gift effort - her enthusiasm for Harvard is simply infectious. Read more »

In FY07, the 25th Reunion Participation Chairs were recognized for their superb leadership as they led the Class of 1982 to set the participation record for highest number of donors ever recorded in HCF history! The 1982 Participation Chairs, Lawrence S. Brandman, Ellen Foley Rice, and Richard Yu, received the Hamlen Award for their incredible participation campaign.

Larry Brandman

Ellen Foley Rice

Rick Yu

During its 25th reunion campaign, the Class of 1982 achieved several outstanding results, including an all-time record for gifts and pledges (1,147) and an impressive 89 new gifts and pledges from first-time donors. A participation challenge catalyzed giving and helped set the new record. Members of the co-chair team - Edward C. Forst, Lawrence S. Grafstein, Cynthia Crowley McClintock, Sanjeev K. Mehra, and Daniel L. Skaff - established the challenge, promising to match each new gift with $250 for financial aid. The class surpassed its dollar and participation goals, with 73.2 percent making gifts totaling more than $24 million for Harvard.

How did they do it? “Recruiting, creativity, communication, and motivation” were key success factors, according to Richard Yu, participation co-chair along with Ellen Rice.

We asked Rice and Yu, as well as Larry Brandman, who led the class to a high level of phonathon success, to share their thoughts on how the Class of 1982 ran this winning campaign. The trio received the Joseph R. Hamlen Award for their accomplishments. Read on to learn how your class can achieve similar triumphs and to share your own best practices and ideas. Read more »

Each year, we recognize the outstanding contributions made by Harvard College Fund volunteers. These leaders have gone well beyond the call of duty in service to the College.  Click on the awards below to view past recipients.  Congratulations and thank you to everyone listed below for your splendid work.

Albert H. Gordon ‘23 Award

David T.W. McCord ‘21 Award

Richard T. Flood ‘27 Award

Joseph R. Hamlen ‘04 Award

J. Roger Flather ‘54 Award