Why We Give

Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence, Reunion Committee member Naomi Stearns '58 has kept in touch with a number of her fellow alums, and delights in seeing them again at her 50th reunion.

"Reconnecting with classmates is a happy reminder of all the things I loved about being a student at Sarah Lawrence," she says. "It's so easy to pick up right where we left off."

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Reunion Giving

Making a gift to The Fund for Sarah Lawrence at Reunion time affirms your belief in the value of a Sarah Lawrence education. During your student days at Sarah Lawrence, you benefited from the generosity of other graduates who invested in your success through their gifts to the Fund. Your donation to The Fund for Sarah Lawrence—this year more than ever—plays a critical role in giving students the support they need to engage fully in the Sarah Lawrence experience, and to establish a foundation for their lifelong fulfillment and success.

Reunion is a time to learn about the amazing contributions that our alumnae/i make to culture, the sciences, the professions, and the public sphere. It’s also a great time to celebrate the impact Sarah Lawrence had on your life, and to pass along your experience to the next generation.

Westlands Awards

The Westlands Awards were established in 2007 to recognize outstanding fundraising efforts by classes celebrating their reunions. The awards honor classes for their enthusiasm and generosity. They are recorded on engraved plaques with the names of the winning classes, and are permanently displayed in the Fund for Sarah Lawrence office.

Reunion gifts and pledges for all purposes—including the Fund for Sarah Lawrence, strategic initiatives, endowment, and capital projects—are counted toward class gift totals to determine Westlands Awards winners. For Reunion 2010, Westlands Awards go to classes in the following categories:

  • Largest Class Gift: Class of 1960
  • Highest Participation: Class of 1960
  • Largest Single Donor: Class of 1975
  • Most Consistent Donors: Class of 1975
  • Most Improved Participation:Class of 1965
  • Most New Donors: Class of 2005

The following chart includes gifts and pledges from members of reunion classes to Sarah Lawrence College for all purposes in the 2009-2010 fiscal year:

Current Reunion Class Giving as of 6/16/2010
Class Total Gifts and Pledges to All Funds Number of Donors Out of Participation
1940 $2,150 4 15 27%
1945 $51,675 11 40 28%
1950 $32,979 37 74 50%
1955 $8,090 28 76 37%
1960 $351,443 59 109 54%
1965 $122,959 60 108 56%
1970 $37,409 57 149 38%
1975 $232,373 87 233 37%
1980 $10,879 50 229 22%
1985 $33,481 33 209 16%
1990 $3,771 35 227 15%
1995 $19,460 21 206 10%
2000 $940 17 241 7%
2005 $2,053 31 257 14%
Total $909,662 530 2173 24%

Reunion Terrace

Adjacent to Westlands, the newly dedicated Reunion Terrace holds engraved plaques awarded to classes recognized for outstanding leadership support.   Classes with gifts to The Fund for Sarah Lawrence totaling $100,000 in a reunion year, and classes with gifts to Sarah Lawrence College for all purposes totaling $500,000 in a reunion year are recognized with a plaque on the Reunion Terrace.  In addition, classes with a 25 percent or higher participation in the William and Sarah Lawrence Society will also be honored on the reunion terrace.   In the first four years, during Reunions 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the following classes were etched in stone on Reunion Terrace:

  • 2010
    • Class of 1960: 50th reunion raised more than $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence
    • Class of 1965: 45th reunion raised more than $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence
  • 2009
    • Class of 1959: 50th reunion raised more than $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence
    • Class of 1969: 40th reunion raised more than $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence and more than $500,000 for all purposes.
  • 2008
    • Class of 1958: 50th Reunion raised over $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence
  • 2007
    • Class of 1957: 50th Reunion raised over $100,000 for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence
    • Class of 1937: over 25% of the class claims membership in the William and Sarah Lawrence Society

In addition, outstanding giving during reunions past has been honored on the Reunion Terrace in its inaugural year:

  • Five classes were honored for raising $100,000 or more for the Fund for Sarah Lawrence:
    • 55th Reunion class of 1951
    • 50th Reunion class of 1952
    • 50th Reunion class of 1953
    • 40th Reunion class of 1962
    • 35th Reunion class of 1969
  • The 35th reunion class of 1967 was honored for raising a total of $500,000 for all purposes
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