The Annual Fund

The Traditions Dinner teaches new Scots the history of Alma College, the alma mater, our love of bagpipes and the Highland arts, and Highland Chicken. Students are gifted a pine tree symbolizing growth and a connection to the community to which they now belong. This tradition has been handed down to new Scots for decades, and now we invite you to sponsor a tree for a member of the incoming class and share your personal words of wisdom as they embark on their own Alma College journey.

Endowed Chair — $1 Million and Above

• One of the most prestigious gifts is an endowed chair. This gift allows the College to attract and retain outstanding faculty by offering additional salary incentives outside the normal scale. The selected professor assumes the chair as part of their title, retaining the honor until retirement when the next endowed chair is named.

Professorship — $500,000 and Above

• Through the income of an endowed professorship the College can provide an increment beyond a full professor’s average salary. This enables the College to attract and retain the very best faculty, an important distinction for Alma College. The faculty member carries the named professorship title for the academic year.

Lectureship — $100,000 and Above

• Establishing a lectureship supports the cost of bringing nationally and internationally recognized speakers to campus annually. Emphasizing areas of personal interest, donors can assist in exposing undergraduate students to significant issues through a lectureship series named for the donor.

Named Endowed Scholarships — $50,000 and Above

• Donors can name the scholarship and also specify criteria for eligibility. These ongoing scholarship funds enable Alma College to maintain maximum enrollment and attract quality students in a competitive market.

Did you know that tuition, room and board only cover 80 percent of Alma’s yearly expenses? The remaining 20 percent is provided mostly through philanthropy. A gift to the Alma Fund provides flexible, immediate-use resources for emergency financial assistance, campus safety enhancements, co-curricular programs, as well as other expenses that enrich campus life. Alma Fund dollars have the same impact as tuition dollars – they fund everything that makes Alma special.

Many of our students rely on scholarships to keep an Alma education within reach. In fact, 100 percent of Alma College students receive some form of financial assistance. Your gift to the Scot Scholarship Fund enables students to have experiences that set the course for success in their lives and careers.

The Academic Excellence Fund provides resources for technology enhancements, lab supplies, experiential learning programs and more. By choosing this option, you can support student learning broadly— strengthening the academic heart of the college — or direct your gift to a specific academic program.

With more than 750 student-athletes on 31 teams, a gift to the Scot Athletics Fund provides necessary resources for all athletic teams. Your gift to the Alma College Scots will provide team uniforms, team travel, tournament participation and more. Give to the Scot Athletics Fund to benefit the entire athletic program or designate your gift to support a favorite team.

The Support a Scot Fund is designed to serve as a stopgap for Alma College students experiencing unexpected financial distress. This fund helps ensure current students can deal with a sudden financial challenge and go on to complete their degree. Your gift provides resources for aid to students when they need it most.

Venture experiences can be research projects, internships, or off-campus study experiences. With a gift of $2,500, you can now sponsor an individual Alma Venture.