Q: What is the Dollar Pledge?
A: The dollar pledge gives MIT alumni a positive, organized way to let their voices be heard. To participate in the Dollar Pledge, you 1) donate the minimum amount ($1) to MIT's alumni fund, 2) donate to a Boston-area, science-related, or charity of your preference, and 3) tell administrators at MIT that you are doing this to register your displeasure with the way that student life decisions are being made.
Q: Why the Dollar Pledge?
A: Many MIT alums don't give money because they disagree with actions that the current administration has taken. You can read This letter from the 5 most recent Undergraduate Association Presidents to get more context. Unfortunately, not acting makes concerned alumni easy to ignore. The Dollar Pledge aims to give disaffected alums a positive, active way to voice their displeasure. Donating only $1 lets the administration see your involvement without serious financial benefit to the Institute.
Q: Where should I donate?
A: Wherever you want! We recommend charities that are related to MIT's mission (in the Boston area and/or related to science and technology), but not formally affiliated with the Institute. A list of Boston-area charities can be found at Charity Navigator.
Q: And where does the dollar go?
A: That's your choice. When you make your donation with the Alumni Association, you are a given a choice of which fund you want to contribute to. For instance, most dormitory funds are designated as "Brick and Mortar" funds.
Q: So why now?
A: MIT (charged by outgoing Chancellor Phillip Clay) wants to reduce the time allotted to Freshman Orientation, and has chosen to make heavy cuts to the length of the Residence Exploration period (REX, formerly known as R/O). This is a devastating blow to student life, and up till now, the decision has been made without student input or knowledge.
Q: How else can I help?
A: Other than giving your dollar and sending letters to administrators, you can help by spreading the word. Let other alumni know about what is happening, and this endeavor. Moreover the faculty are another powerful voice in the affairs of MIT. If you know faculty who would be sympathetic, please reach out to them for assistance.
Q: What will you do with the information in the form?
A: We will publish aggregated statistics about the number of donations and the total dollar amount. We also might contact you for anti-spam and deduplication purposes, or to let you know of any further developments.
Q: I want more information about The Dollar Pledge.
A: You can read on, or mail us here.
A: The dollar pledge gives MIT alumni a positive, organized way to let their voices be heard. To participate in the Dollar Pledge, you 1) donate the minimum amount ($1) to MIT's alumni fund, 2) donate to a Boston-area, science-related, or charity of your preference, and 3) tell administrators at MIT that you are doing this to register your displeasure with the way that student life decisions are being made.
Q: Why the Dollar Pledge?
A: Many MIT alums don't give money because they disagree with actions that the current administration has taken. You can read This letter from the 5 most recent Undergraduate Association Presidents to get more context. Unfortunately, not acting makes concerned alumni easy to ignore. The Dollar Pledge aims to give disaffected alums a positive, active way to voice their displeasure. Donating only $1 lets the administration see your involvement without serious financial benefit to the Institute.
Q: Where should I donate?
A: Wherever you want! We recommend charities that are related to MIT's mission (in the Boston area and/or related to science and technology), but not formally affiliated with the Institute. A list of Boston-area charities can be found at Charity Navigator.
Q: And where does the dollar go?
A: That's your choice. When you make your donation with the Alumni Association, you are a given a choice of which fund you want to contribute to. For instance, most dormitory funds are designated as "Brick and Mortar" funds.
Q: So why now?
A: MIT (charged by outgoing Chancellor Phillip Clay) wants to reduce the time allotted to Freshman Orientation, and has chosen to make heavy cuts to the length of the Residence Exploration period (REX, formerly known as R/O). This is a devastating blow to student life, and up till now, the decision has been made without student input or knowledge.
Q: How else can I help?
A: Other than giving your dollar and sending letters to administrators, you can help by spreading the word. Let other alumni know about what is happening, and this endeavor. Moreover the faculty are another powerful voice in the affairs of MIT. If you know faculty who would be sympathetic, please reach out to them for assistance.
Q: What will you do with the information in the form?
A: We will publish aggregated statistics about the number of donations and the total dollar amount. We also might contact you for anti-spam and deduplication purposes, or to let you know of any further developments.
Q: I want more information about The Dollar Pledge.
A: You can read on, or mail us here.