The West Point Association of Graduates has been selected for the Overall Performance Award in Educational Fundraising by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The U.S. Military Academy alumni participation rate is 29.3 percent, the b...
WEST POINT, N.Y. (October 22, 2015) - For the third year in a row, the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG) has been selected for the Overall Performance Award in Educational Fundraising by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Of the 571 institutions evaluated, WPAOG was one of only 15 that received additional top-tier recognition for Sustained Excellence in Educational Fundraising. CASE is considered higher education's leading resource for knowledge, standards, advocacy and training in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and related activities.
Additionally, the U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) college rankings released last month listed West Point's alumni giving participation rate ahead of all other service academies. These national achievements for WPAOG are not surprising given that, over the last three years, the organization has successively broken records for cash and pledge receipts.
"The USNWR listing reflects how dedicated our graduates are to their alma mater. The report indicates that our constituents truly understand that their participation is essential to the core mission of the academy, and we couldn't be more grateful for their support," Kristin Sorenson, Vice President of Development for WPAOG, said.
The 2016 edition of USNWR released in September 2015 averages participation rates over several years. The U.S. Service Academy alumni participation rate for the U.S. Military Academy is 29.3 percent, with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy coming in second with a rate of 28.6 percent.
The U.S. Naval Academy is rated at 18.8 percent, followed by the U.S. Air Force Academy with a rate of 12.7 percent. Information on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy alumni giving rate is not available.
The CASE and USNWR achievements come as WPAOG's For Us All: The Campaign for West Point seven-year fundraising initiative sprints to a finish on Dec. 31. This unprecedented campaign was designed to enhance the academy's Margin of Excellence programs for cadets and sustain the activities and traditions that serve the Long Gray Line. To date, more than $400 million has been raised, far surpassing the campaign's goal of $350 million.
Explains Sorenson, "Our graduates' participation is so important for West Point. Their gifts supplement appropriated funding and strengthen the Margin of Excellence," she says, referring to the additional programs, facilities and opportunities the West Point Superintendent has determined are most important for recruiting and preparing ethical and agile leaders of character. These activities complement the academy's core curriculum and training.
Sorenson notes that WPAOG is on track to build on its success and reach a 32 percent graduate participation rate by the end of 2015, which would set a new benchmark for the organization.
"We want to encourage all graduates to give back to West Point at whatever level they can and in support of programs and activities that are meaningful to them," Sorenson said.
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