Best Practice?

Catalog from 1970-71

In January,  UC Berkeley was delighted to tell me that this year marks the 40th anniversary of my graduation.  They promised to stay in touch all year.

I'm ambivalent about Cal. Yes, I went to school there, I loved it, I made lifelong friends, and the culture of the place fit me like a glove.  Consequently, I've lived in Berkeley for 40 years.  I happened to marry a professor (who describes me as "a non-practicing faculty wife").   But I've never been tempted to write checks.


 I prefer to buy cereal and peanut butter for the Berkeley Food Pantry where I see the food move right out the door, untouched by the hands of UC development staff and a 6.5% rake-off on every gift (2.5% if the school or college has its own development office).

So I was already biased against giving money to Cal, but the question was DOA when I saw that the contribution slip enclosed with the letter gave me the choice of donating  $5000, $2500, or  $1000.  That's it.  I wrote "dream on" on this paper and stuck it on  my refrigerator.

Two months later, another letter arrived, again with the choice of giving in the thousands, period.   I was cranky.  I e-mailed the head of class campaigns.  Was she unaware,  I wrote, that many people my age  have a) lost their jobs, b) seen their retirement savings evaporate in the recession,  and/or  c) have  kids to put through college?   How about lowering the bar?  She wrote back and said it was "best practice" to ask for "leadership gifts to commemorate this important anniversary."  Most people who donate write checks for considerably smaller amounts, she said.

Am I the only one who feels cheap due to "best practice?"  The class campaign lady said she'd see about including smaller amounts in the next mailing.   We'll see.