September 18, 2000 UC receives more than $1 billion in private support in 1999-2000 Annual fundraising total sets new record By Phillip Torrez UC Office of the President For the first time in its history, the University of California raised more than $1 billion in private support in a 12-month period. For the year ending June 30, 2000, alumni and friends of the university gave $1,222,167,236, a 32 percent increase from a year earlier when UC received $926 million. "The university's unprecedented fundraising year in breaking the $1-billion mark is a tremendous achievement for our campuses and alumni volunteers and an eloquent statement of support from our friends and alumni," said UC President Richard C. Atkinson. "The University of California has been a public-private partnership from its very beginnings," he said. "Private support through the years has helped UC become one of the world's great universities. The generosity of donors helps us to attract the best students and faculty and to preserve and extend the excellence of our academic and research programs." The 1999-2000 results, which represent the sixth consecutive year that private giving has set a record, continue UC's distinction as the leader in philanthropy among the nation's colleges and universities as well as other charitable concerns nationally. In last year's "Philanthropy 400" ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Salvation Army was the nation's No. 1 charitable organization, collecting $1.2 billion; the top single-campus educational institution was Harvard University, with $462.7 million in private support. Private support represents about 4 percent of UC's operating budget, noted Bruce B. Darling, UC senior vice president for university and external relations. "Private support complements the funding UC receives from the state," he said. "It enables the university to offer educational experiences to our students that would not be possible with state funds alone. And it funds research that produces medical breakthroughs, new technologies, and nutritious foods for California and the nation." Of the $1.2 billion given to the university in 1999-2000, foundations contributed $378.5 million (31 percent of the total); nonalumni individuals, $288.4 million (23.6 percent); corporations, $283.7 million (23.2 percent); alumni, $189.5 million (15.5 percent); campus-related organizations, $7.5 million (0.6 percent); and other sources, $74.2 million (6.1 percent). The gifts from corporations increased nearly 38 percent from the previous year; support from private foundations increased more than 30 percent; and gifts from other sources (which includes fundraising consortia, religious organizations, and higher educational institutions or associations) increased 21.6 percent. Support from nonalumni individuals increased 72 percent from 1998-99. In 1999-2000, donors contributed $361.4 million for campus improvement (or 29.6 percent of the total); $324.2 million for departmental support (or 26.5 percent); $320.2 million for research (or 26.2 percent); $83.2 million for student support (6.8 percent); $40.6 million for instruction (3.3 percent); $21.5 million for unrestricted use (1.8 percent); $9.5 million for departmental support/agriculture (0.8 percent); and $61.1 million for other purposes (5.0 percent). All but one of UC's existing nine campuses recorded increases in 1999-2000 from the previous year and seven of the campuses set new fundraising benchmarks. They included Davis, Irvine, UCLA, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz. In 1999-2000, Berkeley received $201,361,838; Davis $72,230,552; Irvine $87,885,021; UCLA $330,801,078; Riverside $17,098,028; San Diego $135,367,727; San Francisco $513,547,664; Santa Barbara $30,564,479; and Santa Cruz $24,330,790. UCLA and UC San Francisco are involved in high-profile programs to construct new health sciences medical and research facilities. Campaign UCLA, scheduled to conclude in 2002, has thus far raised $1.2 billion; the campaign's goal has been increased to $1.6 billion. UC San Francisco, the only UC campus dedicated exclusively to health sciences, received $120 million in 1999-2000 for development of its second major teaching and research campus on 43 acres at Mission Bay near downtown San Francisco. UC Berkeley's Campaign for the New Century, launched publicly in 1996 and set to conclude at the end of the year, has thus far raised $1.2 billion, surpassing its $1.1 billion goal. Go to previous article about UCSC's fundraising for 1999-2000 Return to Front Page