Telephone campaign drums up support for Alumni Fund

Birkbeck ran its 6th telephone campaign in March and April 2011 during which time a dedicated team of 30 student callers spoke to over 1,800 alumni and friends of the College.  Our students have worked very hard over the four weeks to update alumni with College news, seek their input about events and publications, hear their experiences of Birkbeck and ask them to support the Alumni Fund.

Calling ended with another successful result - £173,000 pledged over five years to help continue providing students with improved services, facilities and financial support.

"This is evidence of how positive our alumni are about their experiences of Birkbeck and the services it provides," says Development Manager, Evana Topolovec. "Donating to the Alumni Fund gives former students a chance to give something back and to contribute towards ensuring current and prospective students have the same worthwhile experience and opportunities as they've had.  In some cases, these donations are a lifeline needed by many in order to afford higher education all together."

The telephone campaign is also a way of keeping in touch with our alumni.  A strong alumni base is the foundation for any university and the goodwill we receive from our graduates is an inspiration.   "On occasions I was totally overwhelmed by their generosity, especially those who had little or no income, but felt so strongly about Birkbeck’s values that they wanted to make a contribution - however small" says Faheem Ahmed who is currently doing a Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies, having already obtained an MSc in Gender, Culture, Politics from Birkbeck.  "As for myself, I was just very proud to have been selected to join the campaign team and make a small difference in ensuring that many talented students who were no longer able to support themselves would benefit, as well as ensuring that Birkbeck remains and develops as a provider of quality part-time evening education."

Even though the campaign has ended we are still raising money for the Alumni Fund.  Add your support and make a donation online, or use one of our other ways to donate.

Other thoughts from our callers:

Ian Glover, BA English Literature student
"Working as part of the student caller team was a fantastic opportunity to speak with Birkbeck alumni about their time at the university. By and large they were generous, informative and interesting. Getting regular monthly donations was also very satisfying.  Once gift aid has been taken into account, even small amounts add up and you can see how alumni have made a substantive contribution to the alumni fund."

Camila Sayers, BA Latin American Studies student
"My personal highlight of the Campaign was witnessing the loyalty of the Alumni towards the college; not only seeing how willing they were to contribute towards the fund but also hearing their fascinating stories of found love and the life-changing opportunities that spurned from their education here."

Eyrun Bernhardsdottir, MSc Global Governance and Public Policy student
"I loved hearing how positive everyone was about Birkbeck. I learnt so much about what alumni go on to do after studying here, and those that studied similar degrees to mine or who were working in fields I am interested in gave me advice on how to get into a specific sector. It was a really beneficial experience and the information I was given will be beneficial for other students, too."