The Class of 1975

50th Reunion Fundraising Challenge

Class of 1975, you’ve watched your alma mater transform over the last five decades — while the spirit that is Colgate has grown stronger and your friendships have deepened.

The 50th Reunion Challenge offers you a chance to honor those bonds, secure your class legacy, and advance Colgate’s Third-Century aspirations.

  • When 75% of the Class of 1975 (284 classmates) makes a gift of any amount to any campus program, and
  • When 26 classmates join the Willow Society by reunion weekend
  • A group of challengers will make a generous gift of $550,000 to the University

Thank you to our generous class challengers:

  • Julie Bergeron
  • Allan Bombard
  • Bob Como and Robin Goldin Como
  • John Duane
  • Bill Gillick
  • Pamela Harding
  • Tim Mastro
  • and one anonymous donor

More than 160 classmates have already made a gift, and a dozen have become Willow Society members. We invite you to join them.

  • Visit colgate.edu/classof1975 to give today. Designate your gift to the Colgate Fund, which supports programs and opportunities across campus, or select a specific program that is important to you.
  • To join the Willow Society, simply let us know that you have named or intend to name Colgate as a beneficiary in your estate plans (will, trust, retirement account, life insurance, or other financial account.) It’s that easy. Contact Associate Vice President Andrew Coddington at plannedgiving@colgate.edu for next steps.

No matter how you give, your generosity can enhance campus life, strengthen academic programs, and even help expand the Colgate Commitment to benefit at least 50% of the student body. Your gift will have a lasting impact and shape the future of the University, supporting its mission for generations to come.

Many thanks — and let the countdown to Reunion 2025 begin.

“It was an easy decision to include Colgate in our wills and the process to coordinate with the University was very simple.”
– Bob Como ’75 & Robin Goldin Como ’75

“I give to Colgate because I believe in the value of a liberal arts education. Colgate’s excellent faculty and strong curriculum equip students well for any endeavor.”
– Marilyne Tron ’75, P’05

Our class gift has three sources: The Annual Fund (The Colgate Fund), Capital/Endowment Gifts and Planned Gifts. All gifts count towards The Campaign for the Third Century, which recently crossed the $600M milestone towards the $1B goal.

The Annual Fund
The Annual Fund has two sources – the Colgate Fund (unrestricted support) and the Restricted Annual Fund (which includes spendable gifts made to any specific campus designation like Athletics or an Academic Department). The Colgate Fund is a priority for Colgate and touches every aspect of the Colgate experience. We urge each of you to make The Colgate Fund your first giving priority.

The Third-Century Plan
As you know, Colgate’s Third-Century Plan is a long-term roadmap to guide actions and resources across all parts of the University in service of a significant transformation of Colgate. Under the Plan, Colgate will enhance its academic program, complete its campus, attract and support new levels of talent, and fully realize Colgate’s potential to become a national leader.

Here is a link to information on the Plan:  https://thirdcenturycampaign.colgate.edu/

Your gift in support of one of the Third-Century priorities will help Colgate realize its ambitions and help our class in the process.

Planned Gifts
Watch this video to learn more about philanthropic estate planning that counts toward our class gift.

Planned gifts provide many options to participate in your 50th Reunion Gift: gifts that can come through your estate – via your will/revocable trust or by beneficiary designation from your IRA or life insurance – or gifts that provide you income in return, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust, or gifts of illiquid assets, such as unneeded real estate. Each can be tailored to your needs. Planned Gifts will be a vital component of our 50th Reunion Gift and for meeting the priorities of the Plan. Colgate’s Planned Giving Office is ready to assist with your philanthropy.

How Our Class Gift Is Determined
Our overall 50th Reunion Class Gift is the total of all gifts made in the years after our 45th Reunion Year, as well as all pledges paid in installments over the next five years. Included in this total will be all gifts to any designation, including the Colgate Fund, capital and endowment projects, and planned gifts. As noted above, all gifts will also be included in The Campaign for the Third Century.

Participation
We will set an ambitious participation goal for our class in honor of our 50th Reunion year (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025). To be shared soon! With your support, we can reach this goal— and every gift matters.

Check back here from time to time; we will share specific goals and update information on our progress as we move forward toward our Reunion next June.

Sincerely,
’75 Class Gift Committee

How to Make a Gift to Colgate

Online
colgate.edu/makeagift

Phone
1-800-668-4428

Mail
Colgate University
P.O. Box 313
Canajoharie, NY 13317-0313

For more information
Visit www.colgate.edu/give/ways-give or contact Jen Stone, Class of 1975 Staff Fundraising Liaison, at jstone@colgate.edu.

50th Reunion FAQs

(Click to expand for answer.)

Online: colgate.edu/makeagift

Phone: 1-800-668-4428 during business hours

Mail: Please send a check to our secure lockbox at:
Colgate University
P.O. Box 313
Canajoharie, NY 13317-0313

Visit https://www.colgate.edu/give/ways-give for additional ways to make a gift including stocks, donor advised funds, and more.

  • Outright gifts (cash / stock) 
  • Pledges – documented with a Statement of Intent
  • Estate and Life Income Gifts: Bequests and IRA designations; gift annuities and other life income arrangements; and gifts of assets, such as life insurance. Attaining Age 70 within the five-year counting period, a documented bequest intention will count for the 50th reunion. 
  • Any gift (outright or planned) that you made in the four years leading up to the Reunion year (July 1, 2021-June 30, 2025)
  • Any gift (outright or planned) that you make in your Reunion year (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025)
  • Any pledge, provided that it is documented during your Reunion year made for the four years following your Reunion (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2029).

You can give to any campus initiative that is meaningful to you. We hope you will consider designating at least some of your gift in support of the Colgate Fund, where needs are greatest, but your 50th reunion gift is an opportunity to make an impact on what matters most to you – whether that is an endowed fund, capital project, sports team, or other. 

Any gift that you make during your 50th reunion, and any documented pledge or planned giving as described above will be included in the totals for the Campaign for the Third Century. Essentially, any gift or pledge documented for the ten year counting period will count for the Campaign for the Third Century. 

Planned gifts provide many options to participate in your 50th Reunion Gift: gifts that can come through your estate – via your will/revocable trust or by beneficiary designation from your IRA or life insurance – or gifts that provide you income in return, such as a charitable gift annuity or charitable trust, or gifts of illiquid assets, such as unneeded real estate. Each can be tailored to your needs. Planned Gifts will be a vital component of our 50th Reunion Gift and for meeting the priorities of the Plan. Colgate’s Planned Giving Office is ready to assist with your philanthropy. 

Charitable Estate Planning Webinar

Hosted by Colgate’s Planning Giving Office

I am sure many of you are like me and thinking about personal, financial, and philanthropic goals. So when Colgate offered a philanthropic estate planning webinar for our class, I decided to attend and I am really glad I did. The representative from TIAA (Laura Alexander) was very knowledgeable and included many possible strategies – who knew there were so many options! Her detailed descriptions gave me a much stronger sense of what might work best for me. It’s definitely worth your time to watch. ~ Cynthia Perry, ’74

Watch Webinar >