Fingerprints Program Will Soon Exceed $800,000

Fingerprints team celebrating an impressive success

AUB President John Waterbury and Mrs. Sarah Waterbury hosted on June 26 at Marquand House a reception in honor of students who participated in this year's Fingerprints campaign -a fundraising program by students that was established in 2002 to provide financial aid for AUB students. In the preceding years, the fund has accumulated over $650,000; and with this year's proceeds of the Fingerprints drive, it is expected to top $800,000.

Graduating students participate by making a $25 gift to a Fingerprints Endowed Scholarship Fund (each graduating class at AUB now has its own Fingerprints fund). While an AUB trustee sponsors Fingerprints by matching every $1 contributed by students with a gift of $2, the University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) also makes generous two-for-one matches. As a result, every $1 contributed by graduating students to Fingerprints is actually worth $5 to AUB. The total money is invested, and return on investment is used to support qualified AUB students who are financially disadvantaged.

"This year 1,049 graduating students separately donated at least $25 to Fingerprints. That comprises around 60 percent of the graduating class of 2008, who contributed the sum of $32,982. This year also, the total amount will be matched by AUB Trustee Farouk Jaber: two dollars for each dollar. Similarly, USFC will match two dollars for each dollar donated. As a result, the Fingerprints fund will be worth more than $800,000 by the end of this fiscal year, explained Ghandi Fala, assistant director for Development Programs, who also manages Fingerprints and helps coordinate its solicitation campaign.

Trustees who have sponsored this program up until now are Kamal Shair, who sponsored the years 2002, 2003, and 2004, and Ali Ghandour, who matched donations for the year 2005; while Farouk Jabre sponsored the years 2006, 2007, and 2008.

According to Assistant Vice President Imad Baalbaki, who initiated and implemented Fingerprints, the objective in establishing the program was to develop a culture of giving among graduating students at AUB.

"Fingerprints was launched as part of a multifaceted campaign to raise monies for financial aid so that more qualified students in Lebanon and the region could realistically aspire to an AUB education. We believe that a diverse student body is critical to the University's ability to spread the values of tolerance and mutual respect that are central to the mission and character of AUB," added Baalbaki.

Around 15 students are expected to benefit next year from the income generated by Fingerprints. So far a total of 29 students have benefited from Fingerprints since its inception. "I can say that Fingerprints is heading to where we hoped it would," said Fala. "The number of student donations increased almost threefold since the start of the campaign in 2002."