The Class of 1968 recently completed a very successful 2017 Dartmouth College Fund campaign. We want to thank all of you for your support, and share some of the final results with you. Our dollar goal for 2017 was $400,000. We raised $537,531. Our participation goal was 50%, or 341 donors. For much of the campaign we lagged behind last year’s participation rate. But a burst of activity in the final week of the campaign, initiated by calls and emails from our dedicated solicitors and responded to with gusto by classmate donors, pushed us close to our participation goal and we ended with 332 gifts.

One unique aspect of this year’s 1968 campaign was the Participation Challenge between April 3 and April 21. For every gift made during that window, a group of three classmates pledged to contribute $68. Members of the Class of 1968 responded enthusiastically, as they typically do to such a challenge, ultimately making 49 gifts during the Participation Challenge window. Each of those gifts earned an additional $68, thereby adding $3,332 to our final dollar goal.

The Class of 1968 is fortunate to have 87 distinguished members of the Ripley Society. The Harold C. Ripley ’29 Society was formed in 2009 to recognize alumni who have made a gift to the Dartmouth College Fund every year since graduation, and our Ripley Society members continue to set a standard of perfection and excellence in giving during each year’s campaign. The names of our Ripley Society member classmates are listed on our class web site.

The Class of 1968 also has another distinguished group in our membership: classmates who, as of the 2017 campaign, have given 40 or more years to the Dartmouth College Fund. The names of these 88 Men of Dartmouth are listed on the page enclosed with this letter. We think it is important to recognize these dedicated classmates, without whom our DCF efforts would fall short each year.

For the third straight year, we have far exceeded our dollar goal. With a goal of $400,000 each year, our cumulative three-year total is more than $424,000 above goal. These successes give us terrific momentum heading into the biggest DCF campaign any Dartmouth class undertakes – our 50th Reunion campaign. You will hear more from us about our 50th campaign as we move into the fall. In the meantime, please enjoy your summer, and, if you are not among the 201 1968s who have already said they plan to attend Reunion, think seriously about joining us from June 7 – June 11, 2018. Virtually everything you need to know about our 50th can be found on our class web site.

Sincerely,

Joe Nathan Wright

Head Agent