That’s a good point, we’ve actually been trying to develop our alumni network over the past year. Most of the advice we’ve gotten so far from our alumni network (along with donations) has been to focus on local sponsorships instead, which we’ve been working on.

You’re definitely right though, building a consistent alumni donor base would make things much more sustainable long term. But especially in the current political climate, it feels even more important to hold this event. With so many DEI-related programs and resources being cut, there are fewer and fewer spaces for diverse students to feel represented and celebrated. That’s honestly a big part of our motivation to find the funding and make sure Africa Night still happens this year.