• A Message to Alumni/ae, Parents, and Friends
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Ranger Bear Athletics Fund Donors List
• Donate Online Now

A Message to Alumni/ae, Parents, and Friends

In the early 90s, the Friends of Drew Athletics was formed as a means of focusing the support of former athletes, parents, friends, faculty, administration, staff, and students on the Drew University athletic programs. Athletics at Drew has been an integral part of the University's educational experience for more than six decades. Numerous student-athletes have taken advantage of the unique opportunity that intercollegiate athletics offers. Drew is making a special effort to provide that opportunity in the best way possible and to as many student-athletes as possible.

Drew athletics is progressive and ground-breaking . In the past six years alone, the athletic program has changed completely. In order to provide our student-athletes with the best possible chance to fulfill their potential, as an individual and as a member of a team, there is a strong emphasis on teaching. We have made a commitment to continue to add exceptional, motivated, and successful full-time head coaches to our staff. A recently instituted coaching internship program attracts assistant coaches who are more qualified and accessible thereby providing increased teaching and recruiting efforts. The results are outstanding. Drew teams and individuals continue to garner national, regional, state, and conference awards for their athletic and academic accomplishments.

Drew's commitment to equity has also produced a marked change on the face of Ranger athletics. Our men's and women's teams are afforded the same opportunities and we have seen both excel. Not only have our women's sports grown in terms of numbers, talent, and recognition but so too have our men's teams.

All the change, all the excitement that is being generated at Drew, has to do with our student-athletes. Be they former or current, they are eliciting progress. Our current athletes will one day be former athletes and it is our hope that their experience at Drew will play a large role in their future success.

With additional enthusiasm generated from our new logo, we have changed our fund raising group name from Friends of Drew Athletics to Ranger Bear Athletics . As our current athletes finish their careers and our future athletes begin theirs, the Ranger Bear Athletics Fund will try to instill in them the need to support Drew athletics and its future. We will point to our growing body of former athletes who contribute each year in increasing fashion, as examples for them to follow.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the giving levels and what benefits do I receive?

Values of each premium:

Do the values of premiums affect my tax deductions?

Yes, if you choose to receive any premiums which correspond to your giving level the value of the premiums will be deducted from your contribution as stated by law. For example if your contribution were $1,000 and you choose to accept the Simon Forum membership valued at $295, your total tax deductible contribution would then be $705.

When I support Ranger Bear Athletics what does my money do?

When you contribute to the Ranger Bear Athletics Fund you are providing Drew student-athletes and teams the opportunity to realize the vision for excellence. Your contributions will help off-set the costs for the purchase of equipment, extended game trips, tournament expenses, and recruiting costs.

Can I support a specific sport?

You may earmark your gift for a specific sport(s). You may designate this on the "Gift to be used for" section of the pledge form located in the Ranger Bear Athletics brochure, enclosed in periodic mailings, and at the bottom of this site. The Athletic Department encourages you to make an unrestricted gift so that the department's greatest needs can be addressed.

Does the Drew athletic department have any major capital projects?

Yes, there are currently several major renovations desperately in need of funding:

• The addition of locker rooms and restroom facilities at the polygrass stadium field. 
• The outdoor tennis courts must be resurfaced by 2005.

While all of these ventures will require significant funding, they each offer a tremendous naming opportunity for recognizing the individual(s) or organization providing the funding. The athletic department encourages alumni/ae to inform them of any possible interest in these projects.

What is a matching gift and how can it substantially increase my gift?

Many corporations support institutions of higher learning by matching the gifts (on a 1- to-l, 2-to-1, or even a 3-to-1 basis) made by their employees to colleges and universities. This is an extremely easy way to substantially increase your gift to Drew and we encourage you to make every effort to use your organization's matching gift program possible.

How do I know if my organization has a matching gift program?

To find out if your company has a matching gift program, please contact your company's personnel office. Policies do vary from one company to another. Please be aware that the employer establishes matching gift guidelines and reserves the right to modify them periodically. Therefore, your company's matching gift program may reflect changes that have occurred in recent years.

Do premiums affect my matching gift?

Yes. When you choose to accept a premium the value of that premium is deducted from your gift. Therefore, if you give a gift of $1,000 and choose to accept the Forum brick with a value of $80 as your premium, then the value of your corporation's matching gift will reflect your taxable contribution -- in this case $920 ($1,000 gift minus $80 premium equals $920). What this means is Drew will return the matching gift form to your company asking for a match of $920 as opposed to $1,000, thereby netting Drew $1,840 (assuming the match is a 1-to-1).

How will taking the premium in conjunction with the use of a matching gift form affect my membership levels?

Because the use of a matching gift significantly increases the amount of money Drew will receive you may use a matching gift to attain a higher membership level. That is to say, if your company matches gifts then we will not take into account the subtraction of your premium when calculating your membership level. For example, a person without a matching gift may pledge $500 and decide to accept the Athletic Sweatshirt which is valued at $30. This would net the donor a deduction of $470.

The deduction does not figure into the equation for determining membership level. So the donor would remain in the Lincoln Green Club ($500-$999 gifts). The same would hold true for a person wishing to use a matching gift. Except the matching gift can actually elevate the donor to a much higher level and the opportunity for greater premium choices. So the same person giving $500 and utilizing a 1-to- 1 matching gift form would in essence be giving the University $1,000 before premiums. The donor is thus afforded the opportunity to choose from the premiums at the $1,000 membership level (Historic Gold), regardless of the net effect the premium(s) has on the amount Drew receives.

Can I make gifts to the Ranger Bear Athletics Fund in ways other than strictly cash?

Yes, you may make gifts to the Ranger Bear Athletics Fund in several exciting, convenient, and flexible ways using appreciated assets: stocks, bonds, insurance policies, retirement plan assets, real estate, or personal property. Through your will you may make bequests of cash and/or property. With the use of certain gift options may come greater tax benefits than others. For instance, in some cases, contributing appreciated securities, instead of cash, will be more beneficial to you. It is also possible that a planned giving gift could be most beneficial to both you and Drew. Through a planned gift you may receive income during your lifetime by giving through a gift annuity to a charitable remainder trust and after your lifetime the remainder of your gift will leave an indelible mark on your legacy of generosity for all Drew athletes.

Is there an opportunity to make any other kinds of gifts to Drew Athletics?

Yes, the athletic department is always looking for unique ways for alumni/ae to lend their support. For instance, the following are just a sample of innovative ways to contribute:

1. Frequent-Flier Miles: Teams, coaches, and administrators often make trips for games, tournaments, and conferences. Because most travel can be anticipated several months in advance, frequent-flier mileage certificates can be of significant help in lowering department and student-athlete costs.
2. Host a Team: A great way to meet the athletes and the coaches of your favorite Drew team without leaving the comfort of your home. If you see that a Drew team will be playing a contest in your area please consider contacting the head coach to arrange for a meal or barbeque at your home.
3. Vehicles: Traveling for contests and recruiting trips places a large burden on our budget. The department is always looking for the donation of vans or cars in good condition and/or contacts with sales/leasing agents that can offer a significantly reduced price.
4. Tournament Sponsors: Several exciting tournaments hosted by Drew have become a part of our growing tradition. The Rose City Classic in basketball, the Drew Fall Festival in soccer, and the Drew Invitational in lacrosse provide the foundation upon which our other teams will build. Individual alumni/ae, friends, and parents are encouraged to investigate all avenues for sponsorship including the use of corporate or organization funds. Tournament sponsors support awards, t-shirts, meals, travel, and lodging and will receive name recognition at every opportunity.
5. Gifts In Kind: Providing goods and services in lieu of cash gifts is another way to show support. The athletic department will gladly accept donations of VCR's, video cameras, televisions, or sports equipment such as nets, cages, racket stringers, etc. By contacting a head coach or our athletic director you can learn of on-going special needs. For example, fences, wind screens, flagpoles, batting cages, etc.

Does the athletic department hold any special fund-raising events in which alumni/ae may participate?

Yes, Drew wants its alumni/ae to get involved and stay involved with the University and the athletic programs. In the late spring we will hold our Annual Ranger Golf Classic. This event has been met with great success so far and has been a boon to our fund-raising efforts. It is a day when alumni/ae athletes can get together with current coaches and administrators to have fun and support Drew athletics. Once a date is set we will make sure to post in on the athletics web site, as we will with other events that take place throughout the year.

We are always interested in expanding our events to get our alumni/ae more excited about Drew athletics. If you have any ideas for fund-raisers or alumni/ae events at Drew or in your area, please contact the athletic department at 973/408-3441.

How can I make a gift to the Ranger Bear Athletics Fund NOW?

Go to Make a Gift webpage and select "Ranger Athletics" under 'Designation.'