Hillel Co-Chair Michael A. Kay '01 says direct donations, as opposed to University funding, make up 70 percent of the organization's budget. Of that 70 percent, Kay says, a significant amount comes from donations by Hillel alums--solicited through mailings and student phone-a-thons--while the rest comes from the National Hillel Association and non-alum donors with an interest in the Jewish community.

The organization actually receives no funding at all from the University, Kay says. The remaining 30 percent of the budget, he says, is made up by outside grants.

"Many alumni are really eager to give because they feel that they've gotten a lot out of Hillel when they were students here and they want to give back," Kay says.

The Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) also solicits from its alumni twice a year, according to student fundraiser Robert F. Luo '00. A phone-a-thon can bring PBHA between $20,000 and $40,000 a year, and the organization can hold one or two annually.

Luo says while the College does not prevent PBHA from soliciting its alumni, they have not always been that eager to share the wealth.

"PBHA is starting its own capital campaign this year, and we had to negotiate with the University on whom we can solicit and who is off-limits," Luo said. "It's not like they've said, 'No, you can't solicit your alumni' but at the same time they're obviously concerned about being able to solicit alumni themselves."

Kay says that while student groups should be involved in their own development, "it's the responsibility of the University to make sure student groups have enough funding to survive."

"The University should probably take a more active role in extracurricular life by funding student groups," he adds.