More than 26,000 Alumni Have Donated to Their Alma Mater
(Honolulu, Hawaiʻi) - Donna Vuchinich, President of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, announced today the Foundation has raised more than $100 million in private support for the 10 campuses of the UH System. The milestone was surpassed on December 31, 2005, and represents all private charitable support of the university since July 1, 2002, when the current Centennial Campaign fundraising effort for the University of Hawaiʻi began.
"We are both proud of this significant accomplishment and humbled by the outpouring of charitable support by the alumni and friends of our university," said Vuchinich. "Higher education is a life-transforming experience, and we are inspired that so many individuals and organizations in Hawaiʻi share this belief and are willing to generously invest in our students, faculty and staff."
"When UH administrators and chancellors presented their supplemental requests for capital improvement and operating budgets to the State Legislature in January, their requests revealed the tremendous needs of the UH System," said Faye Kurren, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the UH Foundation. "As the UH System continues to expand, private funding will take on an increasingly greater role in meeting the goals that have been set to maintain and expand our system’s academic excellence. Having passed this significant milestone, the trustees are optimistic about the upcoming phases of the Centennial Campaign. We look forward to the community’s continued support in building on the accomplishments now evident on every campus. We are more optimistic than ever about realizing the great potential the UH System holds for our state and its people."
Vuchinich added, "Thousands of UH alumni and friends made this accomplishment possible through their gifts over the past few years - gifts ranging from $25 to $1,000 to $1 million. More than 26,000 UH alumni, through their charitable support, have done their part to enable the foundation to successfully reach this benchmark."
Of the $100 million given thus far, donors have directed their gifts as follows: $31.5 million for faculty and academic support; $26.1 million for student opportunities and access; $23.5 million for research; with the remaining funds going to support special programs, libraries, buildings, and other purposes.
In addition, of the $100 million raised, nearly $25 million has been designated by donors for endowed funds, meaning that the gift principal has been invested and a portion of the earnings will be available in perpetuity for a specific UH campus, college or program. These gifts have significantly helped increase the overall UH Foundation endowment, which currently stands at $131.9 million. The remaining $75 million has been designated by donors for a specific campus, college or program at the University of Hawaiʻi and is available for immediate use by the university.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
