University raises $6.7M in first half of fiscal year
MERCED, CA— Fundraising at the University of
California, Merced, is up by 82 percent in the first six months of
the 2007-08 fiscal year, according to university officials.
From July 1 through Dec. 31, 2007, UC Merced and the UC Merced
Foundation received $6.7 million in gifts and grants from private
sources, compared with $3.7 million during the same period a year earlier.
The number of gifts has also increased with 779 individuals,
corporations and foundations contributing to support a wide range
of activities, from academic priorities to scholarships, compared
to 606 this time last year.
“Our sincere thanks go to our generous donors who understand the
importance of making gifts toward education and continue to support
this university in unprecedented ways,” said Steve Kang, chancellor
of UC Merced. “As we are faced with limited, even reduced, state
funding, it is increasingly important that we continue to attract
private gifts and grants to support scholarships, research,
programs and facilities.”
Among the donations in the most recent six-month period are:
- $1 million from the Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation
Foundation to fund a five-year partnership with UC Merced’s School
of Engineering. The gift will support student recruitment and
retention programs including the school’s Engineering Service
Learning Laboratory, which provides a physical home base for
students working on cooperative engineering projects with community
nonprofit groups; - $500,000 from AT&T will support the implementation of
telemedicine and establish the “San Joaquin Valley eHealth Network
Project,” an initiative aimed at creating a telehealth network in
the San Joaquin Valley. The landmark project will improve access to
health care and connect underserved communities with advanced
communications services while providing a fundamental building
block for a medical school at UC Merced; - $200,000 from the California Emerging Technology Fund will be
used to develop a long-term vision for the “San Joaquin Valley
eHealth Network Project,” including identifying current and future
needs, location of needs and how to best address them.
The university has also seen an increase in scholarship funding
with a 95 percent increase in outright gifts directed toward
providing financial aid to students.
“The generosity of donors has made the dream of a college
education a reality for many of our students,” said John Garamendi
Jr., vice chancellor for university relations. “Financial aid and
scholarships provide our campus the resources needed to attract and
retain the brightest students.
“We are very pleased with the broad range support our donors
have shown in the first half of the fiscal year,” Garamendi said.
“We are optimistic and excited about the momentum we are gaining.”
