The MBA 2014 Class Gift Committee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management has developed a new speaker series called Philanthropy@MIT Sloan. The series features speeches from senior staff members and faculty at MIT Sloan on the importance of giving back. This fall, students heard talks from Jason Jay, a lecturer and the director of the Sustainability Initiative at MIT Sloan, and Rod Garcia, the senior director of admisions. The idea for the series was developed by John Ghirardelli, the MBA 2014 class gift co-chair.
The class gift provides money for the MIT Sloan Annual Fund, which in turn provides money for research projects, new programs, fellowships, and other initiatives. During the MBA 2013 Class Gift Fundraising drive, students raised over $420,000 for MIT Sloan. Donor and alumni gifts cover 40 percent of the cost of attending MIT Sloan for MBA students, so the speaker series aims to create a culture where MBA students support each other and the school.
Jason Jay highlighted the Sustainability Initiative he directs during his speech about philanthropy. He says that philanthropy has played a crucial role in establishing Sloan’s sustainability effort and expanding it: “so much of what we do here is based on the generosity of our students, alumni, foundations. . .and other sources of philanthropic giving.”
The spring semester will feature speeches by Bill Aulet SF ’94, the managing director for the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, and Executive Vice President and Treasurer Israel Ruiz, SM ’01.
