A newly-released giving initiative, launched this past September at the College of Pharmacy, is helping create a culture of philanthropy for young alumni. Dubbed Refill, the program incentivizes the practice of making small, regular contributions to the College, while paving the way for future students to excel at the College. This program follows the CoP’s strategic initiatives to develop diverse pathways for alumni to give back and assures that the educational foundation their career was built on stays strong for years to come.
“From the University’s standpoint, remaining in touch with new grads is especially difficult,” said Lee Snelling, Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations. “Their UGA email addresses expire shortly after graduation; they move to start their careers or pursue further education; and we are not necessarily notified of these changes. Add in that PharmD graduates often go on to complete residencies before settling down in a job, and we have a recipe for losing touch with alumni. With targeted programs such as Refill offering “set it and forget it” automatic giving options at low, attainable amounts, we can keep this group better engaged, long-term, with the College.”
Even though young alumni often aren’t expected to make major donations, they are an important piece of the puzzle. In addition to donating their time and professional connections, they help the College boost the alumni giving percentage rate. Alumni giving is a factor used in college and university rankings, such as the U.S. News & World Report, which currently places the UGA College of Pharmacy at #24 nationally.
