How (and why) the Brown Annual Fund reached $50M

Everything. Everywhere. All at Once

Academics. Campus-wide programs. Financial aid. Athletics. The Brown Annual Fund has a direct impact on nearly every nook and cranny of College Hill. It’s the University’s primary vehicle for immediate-use funds, and it’s integral to Brown’s ability to respond to unanticipated needs and emerging opportunities. But as Brown grows, so do those needs and opportunities. To help meet that growing demand, the Annual Fund was turned into a family of funds in 2019.

“We live in an ever-changing world and, therefore, need to be as adaptable as possible,” says Pamela Reeves ’87, P’22 — former Annual Fund co-chair and current vice chancellor of Brown. “With this family of funds, donors to the Brown Annual Fund empower the University to be more nimble, and to create the greatest value from each dollar raised.” 

The restructuring led to the creation of The Brown Fund — a fund for unrestricted gifts that delivers on the Annual Fund mission of supporting Brown’s most pressing needs. Nowhere is that need greater than financial aid.

This year, Brown’s total budget for financial aid is $186.2 million — roughly 12% of the University’s overall budget. Across the country, the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed with average tuition and fees jumping by 144% in the past 20 years. Like many private institutions, Brown is not immune to this trend. However, as the cost of a Brown education has risen, so have gifts to the Annual Fund. With increased philanthropic support for financial aid, the University is able to meet the demonstrated need of any deserving student accepted to Brown — regardless of their socioeconomic status.

“Telling students and their families that a Brown education is affordable and possible for them is something I truly treasure,” says Dean of Financial Aid Jim Tilton. “I’d be having far fewer of those conversations if not for our Annual Fund. Contributions from the Brown community have allowed us to build one the most generous financial aid programs in the nation.”

The Up-and-Coming Needs

There are many needs (and many ways) that gifts to the Brown Annual Fund support Brown today. From campus sustainability to public health to athletics to diversity and inclusion initiatives, the funds that fall under the Annual Fund umbrella are helping to address some of Brown’s most urgent and up-and-coming priorities.

Three of these funds provide annual support for Brown’s professional schools: The Warren Alpert Medical School, the School of Public Health, and the School of Engineering. As the critical work of these schools and the education they provide to students grow in their importance, so has the support from the Brown community. Last year, the Brown Medical Annual Fund awarded 25 scholarships to medical students while the Brown Engineering Annual Fund raised nearly $1.3 million. The Public Health Annual Fund set a record in Fiscal Year 2022 with $491,535 raised.

Seizing upon the Annual Fund’s strength and flexibility are the newly-created impact funds: each targeting a specific University priority affecting Brown today. This includes support for internship opportunities and helping to make Brown a net-zero carbon campus. Impact funds help invigorate pressing initiatives with Annual Fund dollars, while also allowing donors to support causes they care about most.

It’s an idea that has resonated with many Brunonians, especially those seeking to help make Brown a more diverse and inclusive campus. This past year saw an outpouring of support for the Pathways to Diversity & Inclusion Fund, which provides aid for creative programming, opportunities, and resources that support students from historically underrepresented groups.

“The work that the University is doing in this arena and the support from its alumni and donor community are a huge part of why I came to Brown,” says Dr. Sylvia R. Carey-Butler, vice president for institutional equity and diversity. “We’re cementing Brown’s place as a leader for equity, justice, and belonging in higher education. I cannot think of a better time to be at Brown than right now.”

One of the biggest success stories has been the impressive growth of the Inman Page Black Alumni Council (IPC) Brown Annual Fund (BAF) Scholarship, which provides financial support with a preference for African American and Black students at Brown. Created in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Black Student Walkout of 1968, this scholarship has already raised $3 million and supported 18 students since 2019.

Onwards and upwards

What the Brown Annual Fund has achieved during the BrownTogether campaign has exceeded expectations and helped the University overcome daunting obstacles. It provided emergency funds that helped Brown and its students weather the pandemic. It also helped launch The Brown Promise, which has substantially increased aid for students from moderate-income families. 

At the beginning of the campaign, raising $50 million in a single year for the Annual Fund may have seemed quite ambitious. Now, it’s more than just a goal to strive for: it’s become a necessity.

“We know that, while the cost is high, the value and importance of a Brown education has never been greater,” says Reeves. “What the Brown Annual Fund supports goes beyond meeting the basic needs of our students. It’s about giving them the tools and knowledge to make a difference in the world in a uniquely Brown way: with information, empathy, and flair.”