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It's in the Cards | Alumni Support Programs by Using Their Cornell Visas

By Mollie Pulver '80

Why should you use your Cornell University Visa credit card when making purchases? Because the benefits go right back to you--and the Big Red. Since 1997, royalties earned through the Cornell Visa program have funded student scholarships, faculty speakers, and other programs across the country that foster alumni participation in support of Cornell.

For every purchase made with the card, Cornell receives eight-tenths of one cent for each dollar value of the purchase. In addition, the University receives one dollar for each new Visa card account and three dollars when a card account is renewed annually. The Cornell Alumni Federation turns those funds into grants that support innovative alumni activities.

The grants can help alumni groups fulfill a range of goals. For example, in 2004 the Cornell Law Association wanted to highlight the contributions of Cornell lawyers in government and public service, as well as introduce the new assistant dean for public service. The association also wanted to identify alumni working in public service and to organize a public service leadership team that would help energize interest in the group for years to come. With the help of a Federation grant, the association held a Public Service Law Symposium the following February at the New York County Lawyers' Association in Manhattan. After a reception, five distinguished alumni active in public service participated in a panel discussion highlighting the Law school's public service programs. Seth Peacock, JD '01, director of alumni relations for the Law school, reports that ninety lawyers and students attended the event--an outstanding turnout. The Law Association now hopes to make the program an annual event.

Sometimes the program goal is simply fellowship and fun. At Homecoming '04, the classes of the 1980s and the Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO) sponsored a gathering for Big Red Band members from that decade. With Federation grant money that subsidized publicity costs, Scott Pesner '87 began organizing the event eight months in advance, assembling a group of volunteers and making plans. The weekend's activities started with a Friday night reception for alumni and the current Big Red Band, followed by an early Saturday morning rehearsal and a tailgate on Kite Hill, also subsidized with grant money. More than sixty alumni from the '80s were joined by fifty alumni band members from classes in other decades. At halftime, three '80s drum majors led the way and alumni joined the band for the show. "We sounded spectacular," Pesner reported. "As for the marching--well, it was fun!"

Some clubs use the grants to recruit new volunteers. After members of the Cornell Club of the Gold Coast in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, attended a Federation-sponsored Regional Leadership Workshop in April 2004, the club applied for and was awarded a grant to cover the cost of holding four recruitment brunches in September 2004 and May 2005. The club divided the region into four areas, with alumni hosting brunches in their homes. The personal approach succeeded, and the events drew more than 150 alumni. Gold Coast President Doug Pfeiffer '82 reported that the group met its increased membership goal and received additional money for its scholarship fund. The club now has a cadre of alumni willing to organize, host, and participate in future events.

The grants can also be used to promote and train the next generation of leaders. In October 2004, CACO sponsored a New Officer Training Weekend, during which new class leaders and volunteers returned to campus for a day of seminars and workshops. The event gave newer class officers the opportunity to meet Cornell staff and seasoned class leaders and dine with current students in the North Star Dining facility. The training was a great success, and CACO plans to make it an annual event.

Upcoming events sponsored by CAF grants include a panel discussion in Chicago sponsored by the President's Council of Cornell Women, a dinner honoring hotelier Jennie Chua '71 organized by the Cornell Club of Singapore, and the production and mailing of a CD promoting the Class of '91's Fifteenth Reunion.

Do you have an idea for an event? More than 200 alumni groups are eligible to submit applications for grant monies twice each year. The Federation's Grant Committee is looking for pilot projects that will then become ongoing and self-funded and that promote the club's growth. The committee also looks for collaborative efforts among alumni groups as well as projects that are in line with the University's goals.

For detailed information on the CAF grant process, go to www.alumni. cornell.edu. The next application deadline is December 1. You can also apply for your Cornell Visa card on the alumni website. Your Cornell Visa purchases will help keep our alumni organizations growing and will continue to strengthen fellowship among all Cornellians.

Dedicated and Devoted | Highest honor bestowed on exemplary alumni

During Homecoming Weekend, seven devoted Cornellians were honored as recipients of the 2005 Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award. Named for Cornell's ninth president, this prestigious award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary service through long-term volunteer activities in Cornell's alumni organizations. It is the highest honor bestowed upon alumni for service to the University.

Honorees are selected from candidates proposed by fellow Cornellians. Typically, they have been involved with Cornell alumni activities since their graduation, and this year's award recipients are no exception. Rolf Frantz '66, ME '67, president of the Cornell Alumni Federation, said of the 2005 honorees: "I'm always impressed by the dedication of the award recipients. Their volunteer activities are an inspiration to us all and clear evidence of their affection for Cornell." The 2005 awardees are: Arlie Williamson Anderson '47 of Rochester, New York; William Berley '45 of New York, New York; Elliot Cattarulla '53 of Dallas, Texas; Richard Clark '52 of Osterville, Massachusetts; Richard Grambow, DVM '57, of Loveland, Ohio; and Charles Mund '51 and his wife Carol (Winter) '52 of Ithaca and Bonita Springs, Florida.

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