Class Gift

Our Golden Opportunity: The 50th Reunion Class Gift

A 50th Reunion is a moment of gratitude as well as celebration. To mark this milestone, our 50th Reunion Class Gift will allow us to come together to honor the University that helped shape who we are today.

We invite you to reflect on your Colgate experience. If there is an aspect of Colgate that is especially meaningful to you — a department, a team, or something else — now is the perfect time to honor it with a contribution and be part of the Class of 1977’s legacy. Gifts of any size make a difference and count toward our overall class participation goal of 77%.

The collective support generated by our class gift can directly impact today’s students and tomorrow’s leaders by:

  • Expanding access to a Colgate education through the Colgate Commitment
  • Empowering faculty and supporting academic excellence
  • Enhancing the student experience through investment in residential and campus life

Ways to Give

You can contribute to our class gift in a variety of ways:

  • Make a gift of any size to the Colgate Fund, Colgate athletics, or another designation meaningful to you
  • Join the Presidents’ Circle with a gift of $2,500 or more
  • Establish a multiyear pledge, payable over up to five years
  • Include Colgate in your estate plans (see this brochure for details)

Visit colgate.edu/classof77 to give online today. We look forward to seeing you in June.

Warmly,
The 50th Reunion Gift Committee
Gregory W. Neumann ’77, P’13, Co-chair
Michael F. Petersen ’77, Co-chair
Thomas M. Bona ’77
Robert H. Braddick ’77
A. Robert Colby ’77, P’15,’21
Michael T. Dosdall ’77, P’05,’09

How to Make a Gift to Colgate

Online
Donate Online Here

Phone
1-800-668-4428

Mail
Colgate University
P.O. Box 313
Canajoharie, NY 13317-0313

Here’s an easy-to-follow Primer on 50th Reunion Gift options.

For more information
Contact Michelle Jacobsen, Class of 1977 Staff Fundraising Liaison, at mjacobsen@colgate.edu.

For planned giving information, contact Andrew M. Coddington P’25, acoddington@colgate.edu, Associate Vice President for Advancement & Director of Planned Giving

Class of 1977: Leaving Our Legacy

Celebrate our milestone anniversary by participating in our 50th Reunion Class Gift. This Colgate gift tradition brings our class together to build a legacy that benefits generations of Colgate students.

Every gift makes a difference as we work toward our 50th Reunion. Individually, we can each direct our gift to areas most meaningful to us. Collectively, we will have extraordinary impact across all areas of the University.

Our classmates have been supporting The Colgate Fund, financial aid (The Colgate Commitment), academic departments, athletics, campus programs, and more. Many have been inspired by Colgate’s Third Century priorities.

All of our donations count towards our class gift:

  • Outright gifts (cash, securities, tax-free IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions) are put to work right away.
  • Pledges can be paid over five years.
  • Planned gifts allow you to make a meaningful donation without immediate payment. To explore options customized for your personal situation, contact the Planned Giving office.

Join us!
We can leave a legacy worthy of our remarkable class. See FAQs below for more information.

50th Reunion FAQs

(Click to expand for answer.)

Online: Donate Online Here

Phone: 1-800-668-4428 during business hours

Mail: Please send a check to our secure lockbox at:
Colgate University
P.O. Box 313
Canajoharie, NY 13317-0313

Visit https://www.colgate.edu/give/ways-give for additional ways to make a gift including stocks, donor advised funds, and more

  • Outright gifts (cash / securities, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions)
  • Pledges documented with a Statement of Intent
  • Estate and Life Income Gifts: Bequests and IRA designations; gift annuities and other life income arrangements; and gifts of assets, such as life insurance. Attaining Age 70 within the five-year counting period, a documented bequest intention will count for the 50th reunion.
  • Any gift (outright or planned) that you made in the four years leading up to the Reunion year (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2026)
  • Any gift (outright or planned) that you make in your Reunion year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027)
  • Any pledge, provided that it is documented during your Reunion year made for the four years following your Reunion (July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2031).

You can give to any campus initiative that is meaningful to you. We hope you will consider designating at least some of your gift in support of the Colgate Fund, where needs are greatest, but your 50th reunion gift is an opportunity to make an impact on what matters most to you – whether that is an endowed fund, capital project, sports team, or other.

Any gift that you make during your 50th reunion, and any documented pledge or planned giving as described above will be included in the totals for the Campaign for the Third Century. Essentially, any gift or pledge documented for the ten year counting period will count for the Campaign for the Third Century.

Planned gifts provide many options to participate in your 50th Reunion Gift: gifts that can come through your estate – via your will/revocable trust or by beneficiary designation from your IRA or life insurance – or gifts that provide you income in return, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust, or gifts of illiquid assets, such as unneeded real estate. Each can be tailored to your needs. Planned Gifts will be a vital component of our 50th Reunion Gift and for meeting the priorities of the Plan. Colgate’s Planned Giving Office is ready to assist with your philanthropy.

Michelle Jacobsen, Class of 1977 Staff Fundraising Liaison mjacobsen@colgate.edu.

For planned giving: Andrew M. Coddington P’25, acoddington@colgate.edu, Associate Vice President for Advancement & Director of Planned Giving

Charitable Estate Planning Webinar

Hosted by Colgate’s Planning Giving Office

I am sure many of you are like me and thinking about personal, financial, and philanthropic goals. So when Colgate offered a philanthropic estate planning webinar for our class, I decided to attend and I am really glad I did. The representative from TIAA (Laura Alexander) was very knowledgeable and included many possible strategies – who knew there were so many options! Her detailed descriptions gave me a much stronger sense of what might work best for me. It’s definitely worth your time to watch. ~ Cynthia Perry, ’74

Watch Webinar >