Internship Fund Reaches 100% Support from the Class of 2011

Each year, the Internship Fund challenges the students of the incoming class to pledge money to help fund summer internships in the nonprofit and public sectors. Student Fundraising Week is usually the second-biggest event for the Fund, after the annual auction. This year, the Class of 2011 set a record, raising more than $37,000, a result of pledges from 100% of the class. The mark represents a significant jump over the $22,000 raised last year. The full participation of the class triggered a $25,000 gift from the Dean’s Office.

"The success of the drive is the result of our great community," said Kimberly Bartlett ’11, a Fund co-leader. "Everyone reached into their pockets and gave what they could."

Bartlett credits the increase to the way members of the Internship Fund organized Fundraising Week, creating a strategy so each student was contacted about the drive during the week. There was also a contest between the four cohorts to see which could raise the most and get to 100 percent participation first. The idea, she said, was to make the week fun, while appealing to the competitive nature of the students.

Fundraising Week leads into the Internship Fund Auction, which will be held on April 15. This year’s theme, "There’s no place like SOM," is based on The Wizard of Oz.

Yale SOM Internship Fund Fundraising Week