Why classes give
A reunion is a night. A class gift is a legacy. Milestone classes in particular, the 25th and 50th above all, want to leave something behind at the school that shaped them. Beyond sentiment, a gift solves a practical problem: reunions almost always end with a surplus, and handing money back in five-dollar refunds is more hassle than it is worth. Directing it somewhere meaningful is cleaner and far more satisfying.
Five class gifts that work
- A named scholarship. The gold standard. A recurring award for a graduating senior, in your class's name, keeps giving every year. Even a modest amount, funded once and topped up at future reunions, becomes a tradition.
- A school improvement. A stadium bench, new library books, a scoreboard, an arts or athletics sponsorship, something students see and use. Ask the school what they actually need.
- A memorial fund or bench. Especially meaningful at milestone reunions, a gift honoring classmates who have passed lets the class grieve and give at once.
- A donation to a shared cause. If a classmate is facing hardship, or a cause united your class, a group gift carries real weight.
- A time capsule or memory archive. Fund the digitizing of old yearbooks, films, and photos so the class's history survives.
How to collect without the awkwardness
The easiest money to raise is the money people never have to think about. Build the ask into the flow they are already in:
Add an optional donation line at checkout
When classmates buy their ticket, offer a simple add-on, suggest a few amounts. Most people round up happily when the cause is clear and the friction is zero.
Name the goal and the recipient
"Help us fund the class of 2000 scholarship" outperforms "donations welcome" every time. Specific asks get specific results.
Roll the surplus in automatically
Decide up front that any leftover event money goes to the gift. Announce it, and a small overpayment becomes a feature, not a refund headache.
Do it right: transparency and taxes
Two quick guardrails. First, be transparent, tell the class the total raised and where it went, ideally in your post-reunion thank-you. Second, route gifts to schools or scholarships through the institution's own foundation or a registered nonprofit when you can, so donations are handled properly and, where applicable, may be tax-deductible for givers. A short note with the receipt or fund details closes the loop and builds trust for the next ask.
How much to give, and who decides
Two questions stall more class gifts than any budget: how much, and to whom. Keep both simple.
On the amount: there is no wrong number. A first scholarship can be seeded with a few hundred dollars of surplus and grown at every future reunion, many endowed class scholarships started exactly that small. If you are funding a physical gift like a bench or scoreboard, get the real cost from the school first, then decide whether the surplus covers it or you add a targeted donation drive. Announce a specific dollar goal; vague asks raise vague amounts.
On the recipient: let the class weigh in, but keep the choice bounded. Offer two or three committee-vetted options, a scholarship, a named school improvement, a memorial fund, and put them to a quick vote in your class group rather than leaving the field wide open. A bounded vote produces a decision; an open one produces a debate that never ends.
Whatever you choose, route the money through the school's foundation or a registered nonprofit when possible so it is handled cleanly and may be tax-deductible, then report the final total back to the class. Transparency now is what makes the next class gift an easy yes.
Frequently asked questions
What should we do with leftover reunion funds?
Are class gifts common at reunions?
How do I collect for a class gift?
Add a gift line to your checkout
Class Reunly lets you collect ticket payments and an optional class-gift donation in the same checkout, so raising money for a scholarship is one line, not a second campaign.
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