Trinity Annual Fund Reaches €1 million

Posted on: 15 December 2006

It was announced that the Trinity Annual Fund (TAF) reached its first €1 million at a donor event held in the Long Room on December 5, 2006 last.

TAF was established in 2001 as the main vehicle through which Trinity alumni give back to the College.

“While it has taken us five years to reach this milestone, it is nevertheless significant in the context of fundraising from graduates in Ireland,” commented the Trinity Foundation’s Director of Alumni, Jillian Coffey.

TAF follows methodologies that have been used in US universities for many years. Mailings are sent to graduates asking for support followed by telephone calls made by current students. Initiatives funded by TAF in the past have included: the Trinity Access Programmes, the Women’s Centenary Celebrations, Journal of Post-Graduate Review, Students’ Awards for Students’ Contribution to the College Community, the restoration of the Goldsmith common room and the Beckett Centenary Symposium.

In the last year, TAF has enjoyed a great upsurge in support from alumni who have been taken with the Save the Treasures of the Long Room campaign. Unprecedented numbers of graduates have given to the appeal which funds the cleaning of the Long Room’s unique collection. The campaign was devised based on research conducted amongst alumni examining their affiliations towards Trinity and their attitudes to giving back to their alma mater. College staff have also contributed to the initiative. With a generous grant from the TCD Association & Trust of €250,000, €521,000 in total has been raised so far for Save the Treasures. The estimated cost of cleaning the entire collection is €2 million.

In thanking the graduate donors for their support at the Long Room reception, the Provost stressed the importance of alumni support to the College: “It sends a strong message to the wider community and to larger funders that ‘we are backed by our own’.”

More information on the Save the Treasures of the Long Room campaign may be viewed on the alumni website: http://www.tcd.ie/Alumni/support/longroom.php

The Provost, Dr John Hegarty, with members of the preservation staff.