Grateful for your support in this moment | Student Emergency Fund

Here's an email from Zack Langway, Vice President for Alumni Relations, on the easiest way for alumni to support Brown at this time.

Dear Alumni Community Leaders,

Since the tragic events of the weekend, we have received an outpouring of support from so many of our amazing alumni leaders. I want to express my deep gratitude for the care you are showing for the Brown community during an incredibly difficult and painful moment.

Some of you have let us know that you are hearing from alumni who are distressed, looking for information, and eager to help in any way they can. 

What we are seeing most often is a desire to provide help through support services and independent campaigns to collect donations. While we appreciate the generosity and the commitment to our community, for now, we ask that you hold off on sharing or amplifying independent fundraising efforts or self-organized initiatives, even when they are well intentioned. We want to be sure that anything we encourage across the alumni community is coordinated, responsible and aligned with the University’s needs.

At this time, the University is focused on supporting those most directly affected by this emergency. In parallel, our team in Alumni Relations is working closely with campus partners to identify meaningful, appropriate ways for alumni to offer support and care without overloading systems that are currently prioritizing urgent needs. Many of the support efforts and fundraisers require staffing to coordinate and process, and it’s important that initiatives avoid inadvertently shifting the attention away from the students, faculty and staff who need it.

Please know that your outreach, concern, and willingness to support this community are seen and deeply appreciated. We welcome you to share with your communities, if you so choose, that the easiest way to help is to donate funds to the student emergency fund,

which will be used to provide direct support to meet the needs of students who require emergency assistance. 

We care about you, about the alumni you lead, and about our broader Brown community. We will be back in touch as soon as we have additional guidance to share.

Your leadership and thoughtfulness mean a great deal, and we are deeply grateful for the way you stand ready to be responsive to your communities. Thank you for your steadiness, your compassion, and your continued leadership during this moment.

With gratitude,

Zack