UMass Boston Alumni Association to Give $1 Million to the University

Largest Alumni Association Commitment in School History

The University of Massachusetts Boston Alumni Association has committed to giving $1 million to the university to be used for student scholarships, campus programs and initiatives, and matching future gifts. A gift of this magnitude from an alumni association is unprecedented in UMass Boston history.

The board made its announcement last night to Chancellor J. Keith Motley at its annual retreat at the University of Massachusetts Club.

“Declining state support for UMass Boston means that today’s students face an ever-increasing financial burden,” said Adrian K. Haugabrook, a 2002 doctoral program graduate and president of the alumni association’s board of directors. “It is imperative that alumni recognize the value that we were afforded through public higher education and do our part to help ensure access and affordability for those who follow in our footsteps.”

The UMass Boston Alumni Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the $1 million commitment after a year-long discussion on how to best help the university.

The multi-year $1 million commitment will include:

• Over $300,000 in scholarship support
• Over $150,000 in direct support to campus programs and initiatives
• $500,000 in funds made available for 50 percent matches, with the goal of attracting $1 million in additional alumni support

UMass Boston Alumni Association scholarship recipients were on hand to celebrate the occasion, including College of Nursing and Health Sciences student Maureen Boggie of West Roxbury. Boggie, 53, a mother of nine, will graduate in two years to begin a career in nursing.

“The generosity of the University of Massachusetts Boston Alumni Association shows a deepening of its partnership with the university to achieve our strategic objectives, with student success being paramount,” said Chancellor J. Keith Motley.  “What’s more, in addition to this financial investment, the association is equally engaged in forming supportive connections with our students to bolster their achievement.”

Check out photos and video from the announcement.

The $300,000 in scholarship support will be used for incremental yearly increases in supplemental scholarship spending. In fiscal year 2009, $5,000 in alumni endowed scholarships were awarded; in fiscal year 2016, $42,000 will be awarded. The $150,000 in alumni relations support will help increase the profile of the alumni association and promote the importance of alumni involvement.

Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Gina Cappello applauded the creative structure of the $1 million gift. The $500,000 in matching funds will allow the university to leverage the alumni association’s generosity and maximize the impact on students.

“The UMass Boston Alumni Association’s commitment is as powerful as it is historic,” said Cappello. “It highlights the importance of alumni support for today’s students and, through the use of matching funds, issues a noble challenge for all alumni to do the same.”

For more information on the alumni association’s matching funds program, alumni should contact Assistant Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations Joe DeMedeiros at 617-287-5339 or at joe.demedeiros@umb.edu.

The University of Massachusetts Boston Alumni Association is the umbrella organization for all university alumni from UMass Boston and its predecessor institutions (Boston Normal School, Teachers College of the City of Boston, State Teachers College at Boston, State College at Boston, Boston State College). UMass Boston has over 75,000 alumni, with more than 80 percent living in New England.

About the University of Massachusetts Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s eight colleges and graduate schools serve more than 15,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu