(L to R) Beth Schueler, Lisa Utzinger, Janine de Novais, and Liz Hale Rozas
investing
Giving 100 Percent
W
hat began last spring with a simple question over
be a cohort effort,” says de Novais. “A few people weren’t sure at
lunch with Dean Kathleen McCartney became the
first, but we emphasized this as a chance to show appreciation for
inspiration for a major fundraising effort by a group
what we were receiving and that got everyone on board.”
of first-year Ed.D. students. “We were speaking about all of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making this [Ed School] experience possible for doctoral students and the challenges of fundraising for research-oriented degree programs,” explains Ed.D. Candidate Beth Schueler. “So we asked if there was anything we could do to help.” McCartney told them that if every student and graduate of the school contributed $25 each year, the school would meet its annual fund goals. So, with that bit of information — and a
(Hale Rozas suspects that her promise to host a dinner party for the cohort if everyone contributed probably also helped.) Within a matter of weeks, all of the first-year Ed.D. students had made gifts. “I think it’s a testament to our cohort’s willingness to support each other’s initiatives, whether it is the giving challenge, the Student Research Conference, or our independent research projects,” Utzinger says. Having found success with their cohort challenge, the four
shared gratitude for their own doctoral funding — Schueler and
students decided to reach out to a much larger group — Ed.D.
classmates Janine de Novais, Liz Hale Rozas, and Lisa Utzinger,
alumni. Working with the Development & Alumni Relations
Ed.M.’10, began to brainstorm.
Office, they crafted a letter encouraging alumni to join them in
Although among the group only Utzinger had any prior fundraising experience, they decided to issue a “cohort challenge” to
supporting the program now and into the future. Going forward, the foursome aims to achieve 100 percent
their Ed.D. peers with the goal of convincing every member of the
participation during each year of their time at the Ed School and
first-year cohort — 32 in total — to contribute to the HGSE Fund,
hopes to inspire future Ed.D. cohorts to do the same.
which seeks to raise resources for many areas of the Ed School
“My hope is that future cohorts, by our example, will see giving
including financial aid, Gutman Library, and faculty and student
as a something they do as part of the HGSE community,” says Ut-
support services. Immediately, their classmates were intrigued.
zinger. “And something they do together rather than individually.”
“The challenge to get 100 percent participation was met with enthusiasm, largely because it was a homegrown idea and it would
— Mark Robertson, Ed.M.’08 HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
41