Celebrating 2025–2026 Annual Giving Volunteers
By Bowdoin NewsMore than 700 alumni fundraising volunteers from classes from 1955 to 2025 partnered with the Office of Annual Giving to keep classmates engaged with the College and raise funds to support immediate needs on campus.
The Office of Annual Giving acknowledged the dedication and partnership of more than 700 alumni fundraising volunteers and presented awards to highlight exceptional performance during the most recently completed fund year. “Our volunteers are the lifeblood of Bowdoin’s annual giving program,” said Christi Lumiere, executive director of annual giving. “Their commitment to promoting annual giving and engaging their classmates is critical to our success, and the team and I are so grateful for their partnership each year.”
In addition to the award winners below, Lumiere also highlighted the contributions made by the Alumni Fund directors and the milestone 25th and 50th Reunion Committees.
The Alumni Fund directors, class agents who serve a four-year term and provide strategic feedback that guides the overall annual giving program, celebrated the contributions of their chair, Lance Conrad ’91, P’28, whose term ended on June 30, 2026. “Lance’s energy and enthusiasm for Bowdoin are endless,” said Lumiere. “As chair, he led volunteer conferences, served as an on-campus ‘reporter’ during several Bowdoin One Day efforts, helped craft communications to alumni, and provided invaluable feedback to annual giving staff. We’re so grateful for his service.” Conrad is succeeded by Chris Stearns ’01, who will serve as chair of the Alumni Fund directors through June 30, 2028.
2025–2026 Annual Giving Award Winners
Alumni Fund Directors Trophy
Established in 1972 by the Alumni Fund directors, this trophy is awarded annually to the class or classes that, in the opinion of the directors, achieved outstanding performance that deserves special mention.
This year, the award goes to two classes: the Class of 2001’s 25th Reunion Committee and the the Class of 2021 5th Reunion Committee co-chairs.
The twenty-eight volunteers for the Class of 2001’s 25th Reunion Committee collaborated to break the 25th Reunion Weekend attendance record and unlocked a major participation challenge issued by several generous classmates. In particular, the four co-chairs, Ashley Cotton, Peter Curran, Chris Stearns, and Amer Tiwana, provided solid, steady leadership throughout the year, partnering closely with Bowdoin staff liaisons to ensure ambitious goals were met and exceeded. “I had so much fun partnering with this class in May and June!” said nominator Lumiere. “Their commitment to making this the best 25th Reunion experience possible and to encouraging classmates to show support by giving back was incredible to witness.”
Soren Birkeland and Claire Traum, the Class of 2021 5th Reunion Committee co-chairs, led a strong first reunion year effort. Their energy helped motivate the rest of the committee, and they eagerly took on the most classmate outreach. “During Reunion Weekend, they took their role in representing the College very seriously,” said nominator Norah Schlax, associate director of annual giving. “They encouraged classmates to support Bowdoin and stay connected long into the future and brought so much excitement and energy to the volunteer role this year.”
Robert M. Cross Award
Established in 1990, the Robert M. Cross Award annually recognizes the class agent or agents whose outstanding performance, hard work, and loyalty to Bowdoin—as personified by Robert M. Cross ’45, P’72, P’76, H’89 during his many years of association with annual giving—are deserving of special recognition.
Ashley Cotton, co-chair of the Class of 2001’s 25th Reunion Committee, is specially recognized for her creativity and commitment to engaging and connecting classmates during their milestone reunion year. She singlehandedly managed a Class of 2001 Instagram account, collecting images from her classmates’ time at Bowdoin and generating nostalgia and excitement for Reunion Weekend. She also kept the class updated by sharing registration details and attendance counts to motivate breaking the record and giving participation progress to unlocking a $111,000 challenge. “Her posts and stories were creative and very personalized for the class—it's not something Bowdoin staff could replicate!” said nominator Lumiere. “Ashley went above and beyond in energizing her classmates to attend and give back.”
Class of 1976 Trophy
Established in 2004, this trophy is awarded annually to the class agent or volunteer team whose energy, creativity, and leadership in a non-reunion year are deserving of special recognition.
This year’s award recognizes Alexa Fitzpatrick, an associate class agent for the Class of 1994. Always ready to jump in and lend a helping hand, Alexa offered to write a message to the non-donors in her class in June to motivate support before the fund year deadline on June 30, 2026. While Bowdoin staff often provide volunteers with draft text for class communications, Alexa took on the drafting herself, creating a message that played a role in a strong finish to the fundraising year. “Her solicitation was highly personalized, humorous, and unique to the Class of 1994,” said nominator Sarah Daniels, associate director of annual giving. “It really meant a lot to the OAG staff—this wasn’t something any of us could have written! Her ownership of the project helped energize her fellow class agent team and got them thinking creatively about their individual outreach messages, too.”
More Honors
The Leon W. Babcock Plate is awarded annually to the class that makes the largest contribution to annual giving. Created in 1980 by William L. Babcock Jr. ’69 in honor of his grandfather Leon, who was a member of the Class of 1917, the award goes to the Class of 1976, which raised $774,943 in annual gifts for Bowdoin.
Awarded annually since 1932, the Alumni Fund Cup recognizes the non-reunion class making the largest contribution to annual giving. The 2025–2026 award goes to the Class of 1975, which raised $411,491 in annual gifts for Bowdoin.
The Class of 1916 Bowl annually acknowledges the class with the greatest year-over-year improvement in fundraising. This year, we’re acknowledging two classes: The Class of 1981 achieved a 146 percent increase in funds contributed, and the Class of 1961 achieved a 157 percent increase.
The Class of 1929 Trophy is awarded to the class among the ten youngest that attains the highest percentage of alumni participation in giving. This year’s award goes to the Class of 2025, which ended the fiscal year with 30 percent class participation.
Awarded annually to the class among the ten youngest that makes the largest contribution to the Alumni Fund, the Robert Seaver Edwards Trophy is presented to the Class of 2016, which raised $32,324 during their 10th Reunion year.
Finally, the Harry K. Warren Trophy, which was established in 1998, recognizes the two reunion classes that achieve the highest percentage of alumni participation in annual giving. Among the classes celebrating the fifth to the twenty-fifth reunion, the trophy went to the Class of 2006, which achieved 54 percent participation. Among the classes celebrating the thirtieth to fiftieth reunion years, the trophy went to the Class of 1976, which achieved an annual giving participation rate of 88 percent participation.