By Soren van Loben Sels PZ ’28

If there’s one sentiment we at Pitzer share about our college’s finances, it is that we lack them. To talk about money and where it comes from, we sat down with the newest member of Pitzer’s administration, new VP of advancement: Bob Fass

This interview transcript has been edited for clarity and concision.

The Outback: How would you describe the Office of Advancement, given that a lot of people don’t know what you all do?

Bob Fass: We have several primary functions, one of which is fundraising. A lot of our operation is about raising funds from parents, alumni, foundations, corporations, and outside entities to support the work going on here. I mentioned those two constituencies, parents and alumni — we actually run both the parent relations program and the alumni relations program. We also do special events, both here and across the country.

OB: What advancement and fundraising work have you done prior to coming to Pitzer?

BF: I was at the Webb Schools, which is also in Claremont. I was there for 18 years. We just finished a 200 million dollar comprehensive campaign, and I was the chief advancement officer when that completed. I thought it would be nice to take on a new role after completing something of that nature.

OB: What plans do you have for your new role here at Pitzer? 

BF: We have a lot of work to do in Advancement here. We have one of the smaller endowments for colleges our size, our reputation, and our age. We are the smallest here at the Claremonts. We have around 200 million dollars in our endowment presently. I could easily see that doubling.

OB: Are there any specific fundraising plans that you’d like students to know about?

BF: One of the things I enjoyed in my first couple months on the job was the opportunity to work directly with students and faculty. It is exciting for me to be able to work and collaborate with people who share my interest in helping to make Pitzer the best community it can be. 

I am really intrigued with the idea of people coming to us with ideas for how we can work together in partnership to raise those dollars. Students came to me and discussed how we might raise dollars for student emergency funds, especially to help our most vulnerable students, students like international students and students who are transgender, who may be experiencing some difficulties with the current federal orders. [This fund can be found in the designations dropdown at pitzer.edu/give]

OB: What might a cut in federal funding look like at Pitzer?

BF: So, the irony here is that there is vulnerability; we would be subject to losing some potential grants–faculty grants, research grants–and financial aid, but we’re relatively small in scale in terms of the impact that would have on Pitzer … compared with what it would have on an R1 research university. It would be very difficult to get through, and I want students to know that we are 100% committed to them. So, if the worst happens, we will remain 100% committed to them. We would find a way to honor our commitments. 

Would that have some relationship to fundraising if it were to happen? I’m sure it would. But regardless of what we were able to raise, that commitment stands. If you were to ask me a little more of a crystal ball version of that, I worry a little bit more about how that would impact the future, because if that were cut and not restored, it might impact things like future admissions.

OB: You’ve mentioned ideas around the culture around money at Pitzer before. Is there anything more you’d like to say about that?

BF: Sure, it’s an observation that I’ve been making in my first couple months on the job. I think that attitudes around money are always very tricky. There is an old saying about the things that you are never supposed to discuss, usually meaning politics, religion, sex, and money, because they are thought to be impolite. 

But in a liberal arts environment, we talk a lot about those things. It’s sort of what we are supposed to do. But, I think, at Pitzer, one of the things I’ve been a little frustrated about with regards to money is that sometimes there’s sort of a feeling of shame around people whose family have more or people who make money as alumni in good jobs, and somehow they feel like they have to excuse that a bit. 

I don’t know if that’s tied to money being associated with privilege and with power, but I also think we should promote that our alumni can make a good living, and that we should promote that people who come from money can do a lot of really good things with money. I have been wrestling with this idea of reframing this entire conversation around the power of money to do good. In fact, I’ve been using this phrase a lot: live well, do good. To me, that really describes what I think the Pitzer ethos is about. It’s okay to live well: to live well physically, to live well mentally, to live well financially, to live well professionally. That’s all okay; in fact, we want our students and alumni to live that way. The ‘do good’ piece is what do you do with that, whether it’s money, whether it’s time, whether it’s influence, whether it is expertise — how do you use what you’ve built in your lifetime to help other people? That’s why I loved when the students came to me and asked me to partner, because partnership for me is the way in which we make Pitzer a better place. 

OB: On a more personal note, anything you’d like to share about yourself with the students? 

BF: I grew up on the Pomona College campus, about six blocks from my office. I’m looking forward to Kohoutek, which I used to sneak into as a high school student. I remember it fondly. It’s just such a blast to be a part of this community that has given me so much and that I now get to contribute to.