Elon’s generous community of supporters made fundraising history this year by donating $16.5 million to the university during 2007-2008. That mark surpassed the previous fundraising record at Elon of $13.6 million during 2005-2006.
Donors gave $8.9 million to the endowment, setting another impressive fundraising milestone. Endowment gifts created additional scholarships to attract talented students, including those with limited financial means; professorships to recruit and retain outstanding faculty; and to help maintain Elon’s beautiful campus and facilities. These gifts also supported Elon’s signature programs, including study abroad and service.
Endowment support nearly tripled during 2007-2008 compared with the previous year, when donors gave $3.3 million to Elon’s endowment.
“In all of our discussions with alumni, parents and friends, building the endowment has consistently emerged as the most important priority,” said Nan Perkins, Vice President for University Advancement. “Now our donors are making this goal a reality, and their gifts will have a lasting impact.”
Building Elon’s endowment is the focus of the university’s upcoming fundraising campaign. A larger endowment will secure Elon’s future and generate earnings to support quality programs, talented faculty and world-class facilities.
During 2007-2008, donors also set new records for gifts to the Elon Fund, Parents and Grandparents Fund, and Phoenix Club. In all, donors contributed gifts totaling $5.1 million to those funds and for other current operating needs.
President Leo M. Lambert thanked the many alumni, parents, faculty/staff and friends of the university who continued to demonstrate their support for Elon’s core values through giving.
“One of Elon’s enduring strengths is the generosity of our partners in giving,” Lambert said. “I am grateful for their role in helping to make fundraising history at Elon. Our dedicated benefactors have funded critical priorities that will transform the lives of young people — programs like scholarships, the Elon Academy and international study grants.”
In 2006 and 2007, Elon received the WealthEngine Award for overall improvement in educational fundraising from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).