Making an Impact on the Morehead-Cain Day of Giving

In November 2023, our alumni community, senior class, and friends of the Foundation came together to make the Day of Giving a success! We received more than 1,400 gifts, setting a record and achieving 43 percent alumni participation.

A special congratulations to the Morehead-Cain Class of 2024, who not only built on the success of their predecessors but also achieved an impressive 98 percent participation. This effort was spearheaded by Karina Vasudeva ’24, the scholar representative on the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board, who led the senior class gift campaign with dedication.

Your generosity plays a crucial role in providing our scholars with transformative experiences, valuable connections, and the resources they need to become impactful, purpose-driven leaders. Thank you for your support and for making this year’s Day of Giving so memorable!

Facts and Stats

73 New First-Year Scholars

Support Our Work

89% Donor Retention Rate

55% Overall Alumni Giving Participation

More than 1,800 gifts in FY24

18 First-Time Donors

32 Donors Made Their First Gift in a Decade

Inspiration Beyond Bounds
A message from the MCSF Chair

Giving Snapshot

70%

Five classes in the 70 percent range

60%

Thirteen classes in the 60 percent range

50%

Twenty-two classes in the 50 percent range

Dear Friends,

As we reflect on the collective achievements of Morehead-Cain’s 2023–2024 academic year, I wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for your steadfast support.

This year, our community came together like never before. We saw record-breaking engagement with more than 1,800 alumni gifts, 91 mentors, and dozens of summer internship hosts and sponsors.

Your contributions have propelled us to reach more than 55 percent alumni participation, our eighth consecutive year in the fiftieth percentile, and our fourth consecutive year of 55 percent or higher. At a time when alumni giving is declining in higher ed, with schools reaching just eight percent participation on average, I’m reminded of just how extraordinarily invested Morehead-Cains are in moving our mission forward.

We were also thrilled to see 18 first-time donors and 32 donors make their first gift in a decade. Our 89 percent donor retention rate is double national averages for similar institutions. Furthermore, 1,009 alumni (30 percent of all Morehead-Cains) have given for five or more consecutive years.

So much of our momentum comes from the Day of Giving in November. In 2023, we saw more than 1,400 gifts and 43 percent alumni participation by the end of the Day.

Thanks to your generosity, we were able to launch the inaugural Dialogue and Discourse program for junior and senior scholars and a Sophomore Selection Initiative that welcomed fifteen scholars into the Program. We continued for the second year the Food for Thought breakfast and conversation series and Impact Educators.

The Morehead-Cain Symposium this past March was also a standout event, bringing together 60 alumni, scholars, and guests spanning 50 graduating classes to delve into the theme of navigating change, personally and professionally. The event, which took place on California’s central coast, was planned and presented by Symposium co-chairs Steve Toben ’78, Julie Huffaker ’91, and Lien Nguyen ’06.

Alumni also supported scholars through mentorship and advice. I invite you to read more about the many ways you strengthened connections across generations this year.

Your support not only helps us to grow and enhance the Program but also inspires us to push the boundaries and strive for excellence. We understand that philanthropy is a personal commitment, and we are profoundly grateful for your unwavering support and for being a vital part of our success.

Thank you once again for being an integral part of our journey.

With deep gratitude,

Phil Berney ’86
Board Chair
Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board
Ex Officio Trustee, Morehead-Cain Foundation

“The Morehead-Cain allowed me to break out of my shell and self-discover while being unafraid to take on new challenges, welcome a pivot, and open my eyes and heart to new people and places. For that, I am forever grateful, and I hope many more students have the opportunity to have the experience I had—even better, the lifelong experience I am having being a Morehead-Cain for the rest of my life.”

Caroline Durante | Class of 2021

Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund Board

The Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund is the fundraising entity for the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program. The alumni-led initiative has raised more than $100 million since its founding in 2004.

While the MCSF board of directors is the governing body for the Fund, the group also helps encourage the active engagement of alumni, increase the lifetime value of the Morehead-Cain, and drive the collective role of all scholars and alumni to be a force for pursuing the common good.