Alumni and Parents Find Creative Ways to Support NYU

By Kristine Jannuzzi

      Despite the negative economic news that pours from virtually every news medium, NYU’s alumni and parent supporters are still finding creative ways to give back this year. As the current economic downturn continues to underscore the importance of the Fund for NYU, the University’s chief source of unrestricted annual support, many parents and alumni are finding that their support means more than ever to NYU students.
      Gary Yale (Stern ’81) has been an active NYU alumnus for many years. When his daughter, Rebecca, entered Gallatin three years ago, Yale, along with his wife, Leah Bishop, agreed to become co-chairs of the NYU Parents Committee. And now Yale puts considerable time and effort into helping convince other parents and alumni that all NYU students should be able to take full advantage of NYU’s educational opportunities. “When Leah and I evaluated our charitable contributions this year, we made a decision to actually increase our gift to the NYU Parents Fund. Supporting the educational passions of our children is one of our most important priorities, and it’s an investment that we are confident will pay off well into the future.”
      Providing support for students who are having difficulty finding the resources to pay their tuition has also become an important goal of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development’s Dean’s Council. In fact, many alumni, parents, and friends on the council have stepped up their giving in response to a call to create a new Dean’s Emergency Fund, which will be used explicitly for scholarships to aid students who might not be able to finish their degrees due to financial hardship. Sixty-five percent of new and continuing NYU undergraduates receive financial aid, and the number of appeals for increased aid is steadily rising. Recognizing the urgent need to prevent the loss of talented, dedicated students who will become future leaders, the Dean’s Council has contributed $200,000 to the Emergency Fund in the last three months alone.
      “We need to look ahead and think about how we can emerge from these difficult times even stronger. It is our responsibility to help sustain the students whose academic careers are no longer secure,” says Gale Drukier (Steinhardt ’72), a member of the Steinhardt Dean’s Council. “With my most recent gift to Steinhardt, I know that I am directly supporting the most promising, high-need undergraduates and graduate students whose NYU educations are threatened,” she adds.
      James Dolan, president and CEO of Cablevision and chairman of Madison Square Garden, is also a supporter of the Dean’s Emergency Fund. He has offered steady guidance and support to the Dean’s Council since his son Charles began studying music at Steinhardt in 2006.
      “Being able to study acting, photography, and music in a place like New York City is a totally unique experience that only NYU can deliver,” says Dolan. “By supporting these efforts, we are helping to ensure that students can continue to take advantage of this opportunity no matter what their economic circumstances.”
      Debra A. LaMorte, senior vice president for development and alumni relations, says the University is particularly grateful for such members of the NYU community during this challenging time.
      “With endowment losses and declines in fundraising presenting significant risks for cutbacks, NYU is relying on donors to support the annual fund now more than ever,” says LaMorte. “Those who continue to give and stretch their capacity for support are directly impacting the young adults who will graduate and make an immediate impact on the world around them.”