University Times

Total voluntary support contributions to the University, excluding sponsored research, increased by more than 24 percent over the 11 months ending May 31.

According to a report by Interim Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement Margaret McDonald to the Board of Trustees on June 20, Pitt collected nearly $37.8 million from July 1, 1995, to May 31 of this year.

Total voluntary support for fiscal year 1995, which ended June 30, 1995, was $39.4 million dollars. However, according to McDonald, $4.5 million was a single gift from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in June 1995.

Without the UPMC gift, McDonald said total voluntary support for Pitt was $34.9 million in FY95 or about $3 million less than the total collected as of May 31 this year.

A June 20 check of voluntary contributions by the Office of Institutional Advancement revealed that FY 96's total climbed from $37.8 million at the end of May to about $39.2 million.

McDonald said her staff has assured her that final FY96 voluntary contributions will surpass FY95 contributions, which were the highest in Pitt's history.

According to McDonald's report, as of May 31 Pitt's annual giving fund drive has brought in $5,735,450, an increase of 4.83 percent over the same period last year.

Non-annual giving fund contributions climbed from $24,917,663 last year to $32,035,647 as of May 31, an increase of 28.57 percent.

A further breakdown of the figures shows that corporate giving to the University rose from about $3.7 million last year to $4.3 million this year, an increase of 16.61 percent; foundation giving from $10.7 million to $18.4 million, an increase of 71.37 percent; trustee giving from $140,451 to $220,022, an increase of 56.65 percent, and non-alumni giving from $3.3 million to $3.9 million, an increase of 20.81 percent.

Only two areas showed a decrease in FY96. Alumni donations fell from about $6.3 million last year to $4.7 million as of May 31, a drop of 24.33 percent, and donations from other sources decreased from about $6.3 million last year to $6.1 million as of May 31, a drop of 2.22 percent.

McDonald attributed a portion of the difference in alumni giving between this year and last year to a large gift that was given to the University by an individual in 1995. "Without this gift, alumni support is down only 10.8 percent compared to last year," she said.

According to McDonald, a decline in donations from alumni frequently occurs when a university is in a major transitional period such as Pitt was in FY96 with an interim chancellor.

Attracting more major individual donors will be a central focus of Institutional Advance-ment's fund raising efforts during FY97, McDonald said.

Contributions for FY96 will continue to be accepted until July 15, according to the Office of Institutional Advancement.

–Mike Sajna