With thousands of alumni back on campus to celebrate Homecoming, Western could reap the financial benefits.

Homecoming isn’t designed as a fundraising tool, but the “feel-good” atmosphere on campus often leads to more donations for Western, said Tom Hiles, vice president for Institutional Advancement.

“The main emphasis is welcoming alumni back to campus,” Hiles said. “… The outgrowth of that is private support.”

Between Homecoming and donors calculating their tax decisions, fall is typically the biggest time of the year for fundraising, said Donald Smith, assistant vice president for the Alumni Association.

Also, the Topper Talk program takes place in the fall, Smith said.

During Topper Talk, students call alumni and potential donors, asking for donations.

Alumna Karen Matchus and her husband, David, recently announced a $500,000 estate commitment for scholarships, according to a Western press release.

Karen Matchus, who majored in education while at Western, said in the press release that she and her husband decided to fund a scholarship 10 years ago as a way to show gratitude for the scholarships she received in college.

With the help of such gifts, Western has raised $151.6 million in its $200-million New Century of Spirit campaign, which ends on June 30, 2012, according to the release.

Hiles said in the Board of Regents meeting on Oct. 30 that it’s “a real tribute to the momentum of the campaign” that such progress can be made during tough economic times.

Homecoming is a busy time for Western alumni, Smith said.

Between reunions, luncheons, dinners, ceremonies and parades, there’s something going on nearly every day of Homecoming Week, many of which cater to alumni.

Western’s Homecoming has changed quite a bit in the past 50 years, Hiles said.

“There was a time … when there was a Homecoming dance and a few events, and everyone came,” he said.

He compared Homecoming now to a movie theatre: one venue with a lot of different choices.

“There are literally dozens of events that capture that connection that people feel,” Hiles said.

Without events like Homecoming, Western could become “out of sight, out of mind” for alumni, he said.