Proceeds from the university’s 40th anniversary gala will support the Merten Scholars Endowment. Photo by Risdon Photography
The number of gifts and pledges to Mason jumped by more than 2,200 individuals during fiscal year 2012, according to Marc Broderick, vice president for university development and alumni affairs.
This figure includes the university’s largest number of gifts and pledges from alumni donors to date, with 9,565 giving back to their alma mater. In fiscal year 2011, 7,847 gifts and pledges were received.
From July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, Mason raised nearly $42 million from 18,217 donors, topping the previous fiscal year’s total of more than $33 million from 15,969 donors.
“It is particularly encouraging to see the increases in alumni giving,” says Broderick. “We thank everyone who contributed to our success, and we especially thank all of those who made their first gift to Mason this year.”
Major gifts to the university were a large part of the success.
- An anonymous donor gave $1 million to create an endowed chair in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
- Northrop Grumman provided $1 million in support to the Virginia Initiative for Science Teaching and Achievement based in CEHD.
- Sid and Reva Dewberry created an endowment in the Volgenau School’s Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering Department with a $1 million gift.
Student giving continued an upward trend, with many gifts coming through the annual Patriots for Patriots campaign. Photo by Evan Cantwell
In addition, the Campaign to Honor Alan and Sally Merten successfully closed above its $5 million goal, raising funds for university priorities and the Merten Scholars Endowment, which will provide full-ride scholarships to deserving in-state students. The campaign total included proceeds from the 40th Anniversary Gala held on April 28 that supported the Merten Scholars Endowment.
Faculty and staff giving rose again this year and set a new record, with 904 individuals contributing, up from the previous high of 876 in FY 2011. Student giving also continued an upward trend with more than 1,200 individuals giving back to their university, with many donations supporting Mason’s General Scholarship Fund. Many of the gifts came during the annual Patriots for Patriots student giving campaign this past spring.
Broderick says that all totals for fiscal year 2012 remain preliminary, pending the completion of an audit this fall. The department anticipates a fiscal year 2013 goal of raising $50 million, which will go to support a variety of university needs, including student financial aid, research funding and operational support.
For more information on philanthropy at Mason, visit supportingmason.gmu.edu.