The three alumni organizations of Stuyvesant High School, the Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association (SHSAA), the Campaign for Stuyvesant, and the Friends of Stuyvesant are planning to merge into a single organization, which is tentatively going to be called the Stuyvesant Alumni Foundation. Although discussions had begun more than a year ago, a significant step towards the process merger was made at the Stuyvesant High School Endowment Fund Gala Reception. The fundraiser was coordinated by Cynthia Hernandez (’01) of the Campaign for Stuyvesant and took place on Friday, November 16, at the Penn Club of New York.

The SHSAA, the oldest of the three organizations, was established in 1952 and currently organizes alumni events while raising money for Stuyvesant High School. The Campaign for Stuyvesant, founded in 1999, and the Friends of Stuyvesant, founded in 2003, each primarily aims to raise an endowment for the school. An endowment is “a huge fund of money that is invested so that only the interest is directly spent,” Hernandez said.

The money raised from the organizations is usually spent on various areas, such as new school supplies and funding for after-school activities.

According to Chairman of the Campaign for Stuyvesant Paul Weichsel (’49), there had been conversations about uniting the three organizations for past few years. The efforts intensified when Principal Stanley Teitel, who founded the Friends of Stuyvesant, formally approached the other two organizations with the idea a little more than a year ago.

“The idea is that the bringing together of all three [organizations] would make a more powerful group,” Executive Director of the Campaign for Stuyvesant Neal Hurwitz (’69) said.

Because there are three Stuyvesant alumni organizations, fundraising efforts for the school have not always been effective. The separate organizations have not only led to confusion, but also made potential donors question the legitimacy of each. “Having three organizations diffuses your efforts,” Professor Weichsel said.

Though the organizations remain separate at this point, the Stuyvesant High School Endowment Fund Gala Reception at the Penn Club was seen as a significant step towards the process.

“It was to celebrate the impending merger of the Alumni Association, the Campaign for Stuyvesant, and the Friends of Stuyvesant,” Hernandez said.

While the event was organized by the Campaign for Stuyvesant, representatives from the other two organizations including President of SHSAA Robert Sherwood (’68), were in attendance. Money raised at the fundraiser will not be given to the school immediately; instead it will go to the endowment of the combined organization, should it be formed. However, if the organizations do not merge, each respective organization would keep the money it raised. The actual amount raised still needs to be calculated, but regardless of the exact amount, the event succeeded in “showing everyone that we are really merging,” said Development Associate of the Campaign for Stuyvesant Josh Ralske, who noted that the merger of the three organizations was a relevant topic during the fundraiser.

Hernandez likewise noted the progress made at the event. “It is not just about the amount, it is also about building friendships,” she said.

Also in attendance were the A Cappella group, string quartet, and fencing team from Stuyvesant High School. Seniors Kenny Yu and Evan Smith gave speeches “about how things were going at Stuy[vesant],” Yu said. According to Smith, he and Yu were approached by Computer Science Coordinator Mike Zamansky, who is also an alumnus of Stuyvesant, at the request of the event’s organizers.

Both Yu and Smith believed that the event succeeded in getting the merger message across.

“I learned a lot at the fundraiser,” Yu said. “I think the whole point of the fundraiser was to show [the alumni organizations] are coming together.”

Smith agreed that the goal of the three organizations working together “was very consistent throughout,” Smith said. “Overall, the message of the fundraiser was very positive.”

Despite the progress made at the gala reception, much work remains to be done in trying to bring together the SHSAA, the Campaign for Stuyvesant, and the Friends of Stuyvesant. While there are obvious advantages to the merger, it might be difficult for long-time volunteers at each because “you realize your own organization will eventually disappear in the process,” Professor Weichsel said.

The new organization would consist of a board of nine members and an executive director chosen by the board. Since all three organizations are 5013C’s, or tax-exempt organizations, there are legal issues to be addressed, such as the transfer of all the money into one organization.

Still, Professor Weichsel pointed out that all three organizations are willing to consider the more important advantages of the merger and have made “tentative commitments,” he said. Among the commitments, the three organizations plan to hire an executive director for the combined organization, and each will contribute money towards the hiring.

The name for the new organization is yet to be determined. At the moment, “Stuyvesant High School Alumni Foundation” appears to be the most probable choice. Hurwitz also noted that the organizations have not ruled out combining into the SHSAA, which could be advantageous since SHSAA has been established for many years. No date has been set for when the merger will actually take place, as acquiring a charter from New York State will take some time. Even after the new organization is established, there will likely be an interim period for existing organizations to slowly tie up, according to Weichsel.

All difficulties aside, there is great optimism that the merger will help the school raise more money. “I think we should be doing this [unification] all along,” Professor Weichsel said.