Student-led commencement campaigns on behalf of the Wisconsin School of Business had stellar results in 2008.

In the first year of an undergraduate business student campaign, the effort exceeded its goal of 20% participation. At graduation, nearly 24% of the class (154 students) had made a pledge to the school, totaling nearly $11,000. More than 10 undergraduate business students were on the committee that led the effort.

“Our undergraduate class was really inspired by the generosity of MBA students giving back to the school, and we wanted to show our support as well,” said Christie Cirilli, BBA ‘08, who co-chaired the Make a Statement campaign. “We were really excited to see so many students step forward and help us surpass our participation goal. This is an obvious indicator of how much we value the degree we have received.”

The MBA Commencement Campaign, which is in its fourth year, raised a total of $155,000, compared to $62,000 the previous year. With a class of 118 students, 94% of the MBA graduates made a gift in 2008, and 82 of those donors made a multi-year commitment to the school.

According to Dean Michael Knetter, the importance of the commencement campaigns transcends the dollars the graduating students collectively raise. “The campaigns engage our students in a dialogue about the real funding challenges we face and the need for an expanded partnership,” he said. “They help create a culture of giving among our most newly minted alumni and send a powerful message to all who have gone before them.”

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