Annual Giving provides unrestricted dollars for current use, which affords the Dean the flexibility of applying funds to the areas within the School of Nursing of greatest need at any particular time. An important characteristic of Annual Giving is that it allows everyone in every constituency to participate in the life of the institution. One doesn't need to be wealthy in order to take a leading part in providing for the school's well-being and future. Any gift to the Annual Giving fund will help achieve that end because the Dean will be able reallocate that fund to the area of greatest opportunity--immediately. In a sense, the Annual Giving fund serves as a venture capital fund that allows a donor to have the greatest possible impact on the financial well-being of the school. Because Annual Giving is unrestricted, it can be used for any purpose, including:

Providing additional measures of financial aid Buying the latest technology in computer systems for the School of     Nursing's computer lab, Anesthesia lab and clinical lab. Providing for additional student services in areas such as career planning     and placement. Attracting a quality faculty. Renovating classrooms and up-dating them with the latest audio/visual     technology including distant learning devises.

In a very real sense, Annual Giving allows the School of Nursing to do things that help set us apart from other institutions, to work towards achieving our vision of being the "premier public nursing school in the Northeast." It is worth noting the leverage that a healthy Annual Giving program provides. A current-use fund of $150,000 per year represents the income equivalent of a $3.75 million of endowment. While we encourage the natural inclination to want to provide "something that lasts forever," this almost certainly cannot be accomplished by every donor. However, as Annual Giving increases year to year, its impact can be comparable to a capital infusion of millions of dollars.

That is why the Annual Giving fund is sometimes referred to as a "living endowment".