Despite nationwide concerns about philanthropic support for colleges and universities as the economic downturn slogged into its second year, contributions to Colby's Alumni Fund continued strong in 2001-02. Alumni set a record for cash contributed and extended to four years their streak of at least 50 percent participation.

Alumni contributed $3,318,160 to the fund last year, a 7.5 percent increase from 2000-01. With a 51 percent participation rate, Colby remains in a select group of institutions that receive support from more than half of their alumni.

Contributions to the Alumni Fund go directly to the College's operating budget. With an endowment that ranks in the lower third among the NESCAC colleges, and with a conservative approach to spending endowment income, the annual fund is very important to the funding of the education we're providing here, said David Beers '85, director of annual giving.