[dropcap sid=”dropcap-1446585320″]F[/dropcap]rom conception to phenomenal finish, Baruch’s 17-month scholarship campaign has been an endeavor marked by great generosity and good fortune.
Gifts to Baruch’s “Be in the Life- Changing Business” fundraising campaign resulted in a 24 percent increase in the number of students who will receive private scholarships. The $15 million campaign, launched in spring 2016, closed in September having exceeded its ambitious goal by $6 million, for a total of more than $21 million in gifts, including 121 donors who established 89 new scholarships.
Success began at inception, with a campaign slogan with one impressive pedigree. The on-brand “Be in the Life- Changing Business” was the brainchild of ad agency powerhouse McCann, known for creating some of the most iconic advertising of the last century. Michael Roth (’67), chairman and CEO of Interpublic Group, one of the world’s largest organizations of advertising and marketing services companies, secured McCann’s expertise pro bono for Baruch.
The campaign was fortunate in its chair as well. Jay Berman (’59) signed on, motivated to give back to the college that gave him so much. “My Baruch education opened my eyes to the world, to possibilities I could not have imagined growing up in Brooklyn,” he said. Also leading the charge was Max Berger (’68), president of the Baruch College Fund. Earlier this year, he introduced the Match Max Challenge, his pledge to double the impact of any new $25,000-plus scholarship endowment by matching the payout for a period of five years. “Even though Baruch’s tuition is low—$6,530 per year—it is still out of reach for many of our students. That is why scholarships are so important,” explained Mr. Berger.
To the generations of scholarship students past, present, and future, Mr. Berman exhorts, “Succeed. Pay it forward. Help those who follow you. Be a proud alum. There is a lot to be proud of here at Baruch.”