Cornell University lays off employees because of fundraising problems (hah hah)

THE ITHACAN Park 269, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850 ^ | April 21st, 2009 | By David Durrett Senior Writer

[Behind Liberal Lines]

As Cornell University faces greater need for donations in the current recession, it also faces having to get more funds with less money as a result of the economic crisis.

In order to better focus its fundraising efforts to meet its needs and in response to the university cutting its budget by 5 percent, Cornell’s Department of Alumni Affairs and Development recently laid off 41 employees, around 10 percent of the department’s workforce. Richard Banks, associate vice president for alumni affairs and development at Cornell, said the positions were cut based on which positions were least crucial. He said Cornell was putting resources into hiring more frontline fundraisers to work with potential donors.

...there were fewer multiyear commitments because of donors’ uncertainty about the future.

“They’re not saying, ‘No, I don’t want to support Cornell,’” Toy said. “They’re saying oftentimes, ‘Come back and talk to me in a month or two when I have a better understanding of my own financial situation.’”

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Banks said the economy did not affect the fundamentals of how Cornell was raising funds, as it is always looking for ways to increase its funds and seek out new donors.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

The Cornell’s Class of ‘69 celebrates their 40th reunion this year. Wonder if there will be a re-enactment of the take over of Willard Straight Hall by the African American Student Association? The take over sent shock waves throught the entire academic community as guns appeared on a college campus.