Throughout the month of October, Georgia Tech will be celebrating its history of generous donors and calling attention to the importance of philanthropy.

The Georgia Tech Student Foundation and Office of Development's Philanthropy at Tech campaign launched this week, and already students can see familiar signs around campus highlighting the donors and alumni who have contributed financially to give Tech the buildings and resources that it has today.

“Philanthropy at Tech is a visual representation of what philanthropy has done for our campus. We want students to have a tangible view of how other’s generosity has influenced our daily lives,” said Priya Srinivasan, a fourth-year business major and Georgia Tech Student Foundation (GTSF) president.

Large signs all over campus showcase various buildings and tell about the donors for which they were named. The campaign also recognizes philanthropists who have funded student scholarships and endowed chair positions. Currently, one in five Georgia Tech students receive financial support from private scholarships and one in five faculty members hold an endowed chair position.

The goals of the campaign are to not only educate students about philanthropy, but to thank them as well. This year, more than 4,000 students have already given a $5 gift to Roll Call, Tech’s annual fund. The most popular way to give the $5 gift is by joining the Student Alumni Association (SAA). The annual membership requires a $10 donation, $5 of which goes to Roll Call (through GTSF), and $5 of which goes to SAA’s Gift to Tech.

“Research shows that students who give back to Tech while they’re here are almost five times more likely to give back as alumni,” Srinivasan said. “That’s why we’ve been working so hard to teach students about the importance of giving back to the Institution and encourage them to start giving back through the $5 that goes to Roll Call.”

Once GTSF receives the $5 donation, it becomes part of the endowment. GTSF’s Investment Committee is made up of over 150 students, some of whom are trained as analysts, and is responsible for investing the endowment in the stock market. Two years ago the portfolio was at $1 million, and today it’s at $1.2 million. As the endowment grows, GTSF is able to allocate more money back to campus. Currently, GTSF allocates $20,000 to student initiatives and organizations.

For more information about Philanthropy at Tech, visit www.philanthropy.gatech.edu.