If you ask a thousand people why they give to Cornell, you might hear a thousand different responses.

But if you ask them how they give to Cornell, a fair number and maybe even a majority will tell you that they give to the Cornell Annual Fund. The annual fund is one of Cornell's most essential resources because it supports every person, in every study, every year.

Annual fund dollars are unrestricted, empowering Provost Biddy Martin and deans across the university to make strategic investments and to bridge the gap between other sources of income and the many unanticipated opportunities that emerge throughout the course of a year.

The extraordinary power of the annual fund is reflected in our ambitious goal for Far Above ... The Campaign for Cornell. In five years, we want to at least double it from $15 million per year to $30 million or more. To put it in perspective, adding $15 million of current-use dollars to the annual fund each year will have an effect equal to an additional $300 million in unrestricted endowment.

Achieving this goal will have far-reaching effects on almost every aspect of Cornell by providing greater resources for teaching, learning, advising, research and more. As Provost Martin has said, "The annual fund makes us agile and allows creativity."

Sometimes, being agile means providing a summer stipend for a valuable graduate researcher. Other times, the Cornell Annual Fund covers the repair bill when a piece of equipment gives out.

Annual fund dollars let Cornell recruit and retain top professors -- including couples in which both partners seek rewarding academic appointments -- by augmenting salary packages, equipping labs and providing seed grants for research.

The annual fund enables Cornell to seize unexpected opportunities to learn and to serve society, such as the Department of City and Regional Planning's efforts to preserve and restore the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans and the interdisciplinary Solar Decathlon project.

The list of opportunities the annual fund makes possible at Cornell is endless because it is ever changing.

The Cornell Annual Fund is also the way that thousands of alumni and friends stay connected to Cornell. It is the first commitment we ask of our supporters, and it is a cornerstone of our efforts to retain Cornell's place as a leader and model for higher education in the 21st century.

Robert J. Katz '69 is the national chair of the Cornell Annual Fund and a member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees.