In conversation with Matthew J. Ter Molen and Maria Roberts

The Polytechnic recently sat down with Matthew J. Ter Molen, RPI’s Vice President for Institute Advancement, and Maria Roberts, Annual Giving Officer, to discuss philanthropy at Rensselaer and the upcoming R-Pi Day, or Giving Day, on March 14. Ter Molen, who has been at RPI for over three years, was recruited by President Martin A. Schmidt ’81 and oversees the university's alumni engagement and fundraising efforts. Roberts, who has been at RPI for around nine years, focuses on student philanthropy programs and annual giving, including the coordination of R-Pi Day.

Institute Advancement is the team behind RPI's fundraising, alumni relations, and philanthropic efforts, work that extends well beyond asking for donations. Alumni contribute time and talent alongside financial support, helping with internships, job placements, corporate connections, and even enrollment outreach. The department has grown significantly under the tenure of new leadership, both in staff and programming, with a particular focus on deepening the lifelong relationship alumni have with the university.

This work sits under the broader umbrella of RPI Forward, specifically, the five-year strategic roadmap. The plan identifies four key priorities: growing student enrollment, advancing research, strengthening alumni engagement and philanthropy, and most importantly, according to Ter Molen, supporting students and faculty. Institute Advancement is in charge of philanthropic work, which becomes most tangible for students on campus.

RPI's total fundraising goal for the current fiscal year is $85 million, up from $71 million last year and $42 million the year before. Of that, $9 million is the annual giving target managed by Roberts' team. The funds are distributed broadly across financial aid, faculty professorships, athletics, departmental funds, study abroad programs, clubs and organizations, and facilities.

A recent high-profile giving example is a $5 million endowed chair gift from Jackson Tai ’72 and Kay Tai to create the Kay and Jackson Tai Endowed Chair in Finance, Risk, and Advanced Computing in the Lally School of Management. Jackson Tai was Editor-in-Chief at The Polytechnic as a student and has served on the Board of Trustees for many years, fostering a relationship with Rensselaer that grew over decades before resulting in this gift. A more student-facing example is the School of Architecture's Rome program, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, with fundraising specifically targeted at supporting students who participate in the study abroad experience.

Of the $9 million annual giving goal, $4 million is earmarked for restricted funds that include clubs and organizations, fraternities and sororities, athletic teams, departmental funds, and student relief funds. The remaining $5 million is the unrestricted annual fund. The team is currently just under $6 million raised for the fiscal year.

R-Pi Day is both a celebration of the date and the university's largest annual giving campaign. Running primarily through an online platform and dedicated landing page, this year's push goal is $1 million. Last year, the campaign raised $824,000, well past its initial target, driven largely by individual transactions on the day itself.

Roberts describes the purpose of R-Pi Day as giving in accessible terms. Throughout R-Pi Day, a number of challenges and matching opportunities run alongside the main campaign, with many targeted specifically at student-run clubs and organizations.  A club's Union budget, she explained, is like a checking account, whereas agency funds are more like a savings account. Gift funds, that R-Pi Day supports, are investments, which is the money that sticks around for the long-term health of a club or for a major one-time purchase. Last year, for example, Roberts helped the Rensselaer Crew Club raise over $50,000 for a new shell, which was purchased, dedicated, and put in the water. This year, RPI Ambulance is working toward $60,000 to $70,000 for a new first-response vehicle, with an alumnus already pledging $6,000 as a matching gift to kick off donations. Roberts notes that some donors count on R-Pi Day as the moment they give each year, making it a critical day for donor acquisition and retention.

For the second year running, R-Pi Day will include a physical event on campus: the Pi-K, a five kilometer race at 11 am starting outside Commons Dining Hall, developed in partnership with the Rensselaer Running Club. The pep band and cheer team will be present, and the event is open to runners, walkers, and those who simply want to come out and be part of the energy.

New this year, graduating seniors who make a commitment of $100 or more, or a $10 monthly pledge beginning now, will receive Patroon Society Philanthropy Cords to wear at graduation. Roberts will be at the Rensselaer Union the day before R-Pi Day, encouraging graduating students to make that gift before they leave campus. She acknowledged the common pushback of the sense in asking students for money, to develop giving as a participatory and habitual act rather than a financial one. The goal is for alumni to carry that habit forward, returning each R-Pi Day to give to the clubs or programs that mattered to them as students. Beyond that, students can get involved by making a gift on the R-Pi Day landing page to any club, department, or fund of their choosing, or simply by sharing the campaign on social media and encouraging others to participate. Ambassador tools are available here for those who want to promote R-Pi Day through their organizations.