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Dear fellow members of the Class of 1971:
Once again, the fall brings a series of mailings asking for all sorts of Princeton-related giving. These include letters and e-mails soliciting us for Class Dues, our Class of ’71 Foundation, the Saving the Wild Life Fund (STWLF), as well as university-wide requests for Annual Giving and, occasionally, the University’s capital requests. Of course, you can add to that gift requests from eating clubs, Friends organizations, as well as regional and other local Princeton organizations.
In this Treasurer’s letter, I’d like to focus primarily on class dues, though I’ll mention some of the other class-related areas where contributions continue to be important.
Class dues are our most critical need as a class. Our class runs on a fiscal year calendar starting July 1, so we are presently in the middle of fiscal year 2010. This year marks the fourth year of our tiered dues structure, which features the following giving levels: Old Nassau, $150; Patron, $125; Sustaining, $100; Regular, $71.Classmates giving at the Old Nassau and Patron levels qualify for a previous class Reunion shirt or Reunion cap, respectively; however, quantities in some sizes are limited.
While we’ve discovered that this dues program could indeed stimulate higher collections than in the past, in the aggregate, the participation levels from classmates have remained very low, averaging just over 20 percent of the class in all but major reunion years. I’d like to remind you that class dues are an individual classmate’s obligation to help fund class functions and the column in the PAW (which includes PAW subscription for all classmates). Classes pay for that column, not the university – and the expense runs over $11,000 a year. Additionally, we spend nearly $3,500 on class communications – such as mailing and the class website – and over $6,000 on class get-togethers open to all classmates (such as lunch before the P-rade).
Moreover, as we approach our 40th Reunion, we find that an elevated level of dues collections will be critical to fund important activities and events – first and foremost, the Class Yearbook for that reunion. We need to collect $5,000 more both this year and next to pay for the yearbook, which goes to all classmates, regardless of reunion attendance. We also will be using dues money to underwrite such expenses as the class memorial service and a breakfast for the women of ’71 – a big success at the 35th.
Dues are important, and there will be follow-up appeals later in the fiscal year. And while you may want to check with your personal tax advisor, dues are considered tax-deductible.
In addition to dues, the Saving the Wild Life fund (STWLF) and Class of 1971 Foundation continue to need financial support. Contributions to those two funds can be made at the same time as you pay your class dues.
As noted earlier, the class management team and I would like to build a substantial “fund” that we can use for conventional expenses like the PAW and to fund important upcoming class activities, like the 40th Reunion Yearbook. Dues collection and ensuring a stable funding base for class activities is simply is the biggest item on the Treasurer’s agenda.
 If haven’t yet sent in your dues, please consider getting out your checkbook and writing a check payable to “Princeton – Class of 1971”. Simply mail it to me, Rich Hollingsworth, at 73 Bartlett Hill Road, Concord, MA, 01742, and if you’re an Old Nassau or Patron giver and would like to receive a shirt or hat, respectively, specify the size. If you’d prefer paying online, you can pay quickly through the Web-based Class Giving Portal by clicking the striped card facsimile on our Web site, www.princeton1971.org, and following the prompts.
Please note that our Web site will link you to PayPal, our credit card charging service. PayPal will offer you the choice of paying by credit card (lower left on the Web page) or using a PayPal account (lower right). If you want to use your credit card, simply look at the lower left, where it says “Don't have a PayPal account? Use your credit card or bank account (where available)” and select “continue.” If you have a PayPal account, you can use that instead.
If you’d like to also contribute to the STWLF and/or the ’71 Foundation, you can just specify how much in a brief note with your check, or, if paying by our Web site, make those selections when prompted.
Please feel free to contact Class President and Webmaster Bill Lewis ’71, or me at treasurer@pu71.org, if you encounter any problems.
Lastly, individual spam filters have impeded our ability to contact some of you. I’d ask you to please check your junk email folders periodically or put r_j_hollingsworth@msn.com into a “safe” list so that communications on dues and treasury issues don’t get filtered out.
Thanks, and happy holidays to you and your families!
Best regards,
Rich Hollingsworth '71
Treasurer – Class of 1971
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