Wildcat Women Fund Spotlight Q&A With Morgan Bell Kee ’12 and Harvey Kee ’11
May 28, 2024
- Contact
- Danielle Strickland
Morgan Bell Kee ’12 and Harvey Kee ’11 have remained loyal donors to 51¹ÙÍø since their student days.
This past year, they added the Wildcat Women Fund to their list of philanthropic priorities at alma mater. Read more to find out why these community-involved professionals and parents of two are supporting this new Fund for 51¹ÙÍø designation, and how it could affect the next generation of Wildcats.
What inspired you to add the Wildcat Women Fund to your current giving priorities at 51¹ÙÍø?
We liked the idea of supporting a fund where women — and men! — could collectively come together to have an impact. We were even more excited to learn the funds this year would be used toward a feasibility study for the Center for Student Health & Well-Being. We’ve seen how much the center has changed since we were students at 51¹ÙÍø, and we appreciate the work the counseling center is doing in helping underserved communities get access to mental health services. In general, the staff is much more diverse (just like the student population) and it’s important for students of all backgrounds to feel comfortable seeking out and getting the support they need.
This is the first time the college has a fund focused on [primarily] women coming together to support an area of campus. Why do you think this is the right time for 51¹ÙÍø to launch a program like this?
When we think of great philanthropists right now, we think of women like Mackenzie Scott, founder and CEO of Yield Giving, and Nicole Taylor, president and CEO of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Philanthropy is going to continue to become more and more diverse, and 51¹ÙÍø needs to keep up with the next generation of donors. This program can increase connections between the different generations of women.
The current designation for the fund is student health and well-being. What impact do you hope these gifts have on that important area of campus life?
We hope students will continue to feel open in seeking help when they need it, including preventive care in terms of mental health. We hope these gifts can continue ensuring students have a great 51¹ÙÍø experience and the support they need to thrive on campus.
Why is giving back to 51¹ÙÍø an important part of your family’s financial decision making? When you reflect on your time as 51¹ÙÍø students, how did philanthropy make a difference for you, and how did you know you wanted to pay it forward?
Harvey was a student caller for The Fund for 51¹ÙÍø so he’s actually seen the collective impact of giving back to 51¹ÙÍø for quite some time. We both received scholarships when we were at 51¹ÙÍø, and we remember writing a thank you card to the alum who created our scholarships. I (Morgan) was able to study abroad in Australia without worrying about finances. Because of this, we know it’s important to give back to 51¹ÙÍø so others can continue to have the same experiences we did. We are not big donors at all because daycare is expensive (!!) but we recognize the collective impact of our gifts when more than 9,000 alums are also giving back each year.
