For Matt Baer and Jon Quinn, rallying fellow members of the master of public administration (M.P.A.) class of 2010 to join them in making a gift to the Maxwell School was a chance to reconnect with old friends while also helping to support their alma mater in its centennial year.

Both had served as members of the graduate student council and regretted not being able to get the once tightly-knit group back together in 2020 to celebrate their 10th reunion due to the pandemic.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of something that felt as inclusive and all-encompassing as my year at Maxwell,” recalls Baer, who works in Brooklyn as director of policy and communication for a New York State legislator. “It really felt like we rolled together as a group, as a class.”

Quinn, who is a principal at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in Chicago, says his time at Maxwell was formative, professionally and personally. “I wouldn’t have the career that I have today without the connections I made at the school,” he says. “My classmates have become close friends and valuable professional colleagues.”

Quinn and Baer contacted Maxwell’s development office, which oversees gifts, and, with its support, enlisted the help of their former student council president, Jesse Cross-Call. Supporting Baer’s and Quinn’s efforts, Cross-Call sent a message to the class reminding them to donate.

All told, 32 members of the class contributed to their gift campaign. Most of them made a gift for the first time. “I think that giving to Maxwell makes me feel more connected to the school,” Baer says. “Even if it is a small amount, I think the simple act of getting on the board with some kind of contribution deepens and enriches your connection to an institution.”

For others, like Quinn, the gift was a chance to add to their annual giving to the school. “I work in philanthropy, so I know how small gifts bundled together add up, and how important those are to organizations,” he says. “People give to causes that they care about and institutions that align with their values. And I’m so pleased that so many of my cohort have chosen to be part of the community of Maxwell donors.”

By Jessica Smith