When you think about giving to Semester at Sea, you may often think about supporting a favorite program, scholarship, or named initiative. But did you know that giving to the Annual Fund – even if only a portion of your giving – is also one of the most important ways our donors help sustain the experiences our students, faculty, and alumni cherish most? And, if you already give to the Annual Fund, do you know just how much incredible good you’re already doing right now?
From supporting student access to major ship traditions to the inevitable “pivots” needed for almost every voyage, each dollar given to the Annual Fund is making an essential, timely, and positive difference for the SAS community.
As Bobby Barber, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance for ISE, shared, the Annual Fund is essentially “possibility capital – support that makes things possible for SAS today, so that you can build a bridge for tomorrow.”
First, that possibility shows up in increasing student access. Bobby said the Annual Fund regularly supports student scholarships, giving Semester at Sea “the possibility to say ‘yes’ to a student who needs that extra $2,000 to $5,000 in order to make this dream happen.”
And this need is very real. Bobby shared that – of all the scholarships Semester at Sea awards – “only about half of them are currently funded from a donor-restricted scholarship.” As a result, “that’s millions per year in discounts and scholarships that we’re providing to students on our own,” he said. “First and foremost, the Annual Fund helps support our ability to give those scholarships and financial aid to those who need it.”
That means the Annual Fund is already helping open a world of possibilities for students who might not otherwise be able to step aboard a voyage.
Beyond its role in helping students get on voyages in the first place, the Annual Fund is also positively impacting and strengthening the community that makes Semester at Sea unlike any other educational experience in the world.
According to Bobby, the Annual Fund bolsters faculty and staff, helping SAS “support them and train them, provide travel stipends, and keep our staff competitive.” It also sustains many of the traditions we all cherish, including the Alumni Ball, Neptune Day celebrations, and the Sea Olympics – along with the many behind-the-scenes details that make those moments possible.
“The most impactful things, beyond the support of scholarships, are the cultural things on the ship that many of our alumni hold dear,” Bobby said. “Because we have the Annual Fund, we’ve never had to look at cutting those events. We know they’re important, and the Annual Fund helps us continue to say ‘yes’ to these things that make the voyages special.”
This is another component of the real power of the Annual Fund – when you give a contribution to it, or make the Annual Fund a portion of your giving to SAS, you are not only supporting access, but you are also bolstering voyage community and belonging.
And in the inevitable moments of unpredictability that sometimes require flexibility, the Annual Fund makes the safe and seamless continuation of voyages possible, too. Bobby noted that in several instances over the years, the Annual Fund has helped Semester at Sea respond quickly when circumstances change, including supporting itinerary changes and port diversions, each made “for the utmost safety, without us having to worry about the financial repercussions of those decisions,” Bobby said.
That flexibility matters because, unlike many restricted gifts, Annual Fund support is available to the program now. “The resources from the Annual Fund are immediately accessible,” Bobby said, thus providing “a little bit more flexibility” when needed and making it possible for Semester at Sea “to pivot, make investments in things we didn’t see were possible, and make impactful decisions that otherwise we may not have been able to make.”
When it comes to the Annual Fund, supporting community also applies to our alumni base, as these resources can also help support domestic and international alumni events and gatherings, shared Melissa Bingler, ISE’s Senior Director of Advancement Services. “The Annual Fund is even bigger than supporting the voyages – it really can help shape our alumni community and support events as well,” she said.
For donors like you, a gift to the Annual Fund is also, in many ways, an expression of trust. “When a donor gives you an unrestricted gift,” Bobby said, “they’re really showing that they have complete 100 percent trust in the organization.” It is, he said, “a 100 percent vote of confidence that they trust in the organization and us to use the funding to make the biggest impact.”
As Semester at Sea’s 2026 Day of Giving approaches on April 2, 2026, this is the invitation of the Annual Fund – when you make your gift, will you give at least a portion to the Annual Fund to help Semester at Sea meet this moment’s most pressing needs while continuing to build for the future? And, if you already give to this fund, please know we are so thankful for your continued commitment – and we welcome your ongoing gifts in this essential area. “We are close to meeting our goals for the Annual Fund this year, and we’d love to invite all of our donors and alumni to join the momentum,” Melissa said.
Be assured: your contribution to the Annual Fund can help a student say “yes” to the voyage of a lifetime. It can support the faculty and staff who shape the voyage experience every day. It can sustain the traditions that turn a ship into a connected community. And it can give Semester at Sea the flexibility to respond, adapt, and move forward with confidence today.
This is all of what the Annual Fund is already doing – and, with your continued support, this is how we’ll continue to change the world, one voyage at a time.
