Giving
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Since IIT's legendary Million Dollar Sermon, the university has prospered through the leadership and support of many benefactors. This legacy couldn't continue without the ongoing philanthropy of IIT alumni and friends. Unrestricted gifts support student life in every way, but most importantly by funding the tuition discounts and scholarships on which 95% of IIT students rely.
Prospective students and their families are currently facing very difficult economic choices. At IIT, we will continue to honor the legacies of our founders by making the IIT education as affordable as possible to deserving students in need of aid.
Ray Ballard (ChE '10) remembers exactly how he felt when he first learned he'd been awarded a Leadership Academy Scholarship. Reading the email that day and grinning from ear to ear, Ray recalls a feeling of security and pride in IIT's investment in him and the desire to prove that the university was right to take a chance on him.
Ray Ballard and President John L. Anderson at the 2007 Homecoming Carnival, which Ballard programmed. The event brought around 1,500 students, staff, faculty, and alumni, as well as their families, to the IIT campus.
"Throughout my career I want to engage in public service," Ray says, "hoping to bring about positive change in my community, with my ultimate career goal a seat in the United States Congress representing Alaska. I believe strongly in working hard to improve every community I live in, and want so much to give back to the state, school, and world that gave me the opportunity to succeed."
Since his graduation, Ray continues to feels indebted to the university and its generous donors and has the constant urge to give back however he can. He can hardly wait until the day when he can provide the same financial opportunities to someone else, a privilege he associates with being a proud and active alumnus upon graduation. "I know I'm not ever going to be able to thank IIT's donors enough for the gift they helped to give me," Ray says, "but I'm continually inspired by their aspirations to leave the environment around them better than how they found it."
Your Impact
Ray shares his gratitude with ninety-five percent of IIT's undergraduate population who receive scholarships and/or financial aid to fund their education. Your gifts impact the lives and education of current students -- students who will change the world with the skills they learned at IIT.
Supporting an IIT student is a wise investment. IIT will always be known as the alma mater of accomplishments as well as of people. The university will always be applauded for its brilliant minds and cutting-edge research. Our graduates will always be recognized for their innovative contributions to an ever-changing society. And our alumni will continue to be filled with pride for and loyalty to their alma mater. Thank you for the part you play in these traditions.