Year-end results in Annual Giving show strong philanthropic support

3:23 p.m., July 22, 2005--Fourth-quarter reports for both the Fund for Delaware (student calling program) and Employee Giving campaigns for fiscal year 2005 show strong support from employees, alumni, parents and friends of the University, Kevin O’Brien, associate vice president for development, said.

According to O’Brien, through web gifts, direct-mail solicitations and the Fund for Delaware drives, UD’s Office of Annual Giving received monetary gifts from 20,510 donors (a group composed of alumni, parents, graduating seniors, employees and friends) for a combined total of $1.8 million--an increase of 15 percent in donors and 12 percent in dollars over the previous fiscal year.

“The Fund for Delaware had an increase of 11 percent in the number of pledges and 11 percent in the number of dollars pledged over last fiscal year,” O’Brien said. “The year ended with 9,730 pledges for $728,970, and 85 percent of the dollars pledged have been received so far.”

Robert R. Davis, vice president for development and alumni relations, said that this is the highest pledge fulfillment percentage to date at UD. Compared to national statistics, it is unusual, he said. “Typically, universities expect to receive around 75 to 80 percent of pledge fulfillment,” he said, “so the numbers at UD are very encouraging.”

According to a breakdown of overall giving statistics, parents for the Class of 2005 were the second highest-pledging group, (1,055, for $39,000 in pledges) just under the record set by UD’s previous fiscal-year donors.

“Many of these parents contributed to the senior class gift that was presented to President Roselle at Commencement,” O’Brien said.

Other parental donations (5,127, to be exact) accounted for the $193,430.56 that was collected through annual giving and Fund for Delaware solicitations via direct mail. Of these donors, 3,063 currently had students attending UD.

Davis said that the 2005 fiscal year Employee Giving campaign also was a tremendous success, due to the Center for the Arts Employee Challenge.

“Total fiscal year 2005 Employee Campaign numbers show that there were 330 donors and $405,292.51 in gifts, pledges and matching gifts,” Davis said. “This is up from last year’s 309 donors and $158,210.18.”

Davis added that response to the fiscal year 2006 Employee Campaign from faculty and staff replying to Annual Giving solicitations has been strong so far, bringing in 255 donors and $161,299.99 in gifts, pledges and matching gifts.

In addition to an upward trend in overall donations, an increase in responses to direct-mail solicitations also has been noted, with a rise of 9.23 percent in donors and 7.25 percent in dollars over the previous fiscal year, Davis said.

Davis emphasized that despite the success of web-pledge sites and direct-mail solicitations, a personal approach still is an important element to friend- and fund-raising, and he said that this year, for the first time, Fund for Delaware campaigners made thank-you calls to donors at the end of the spring semester.

“More than 10,000 donors were contacted to just say, ‘Thanks for your gift this fiscal year,’” Davis said. “The gesture was so well-received that it prompted some to make another gift.”

Those interested in making a gift to the University can call the Office of Annual Giving at (302) 831-4654 or go to [www.udel.edu/makeagift].

Article by Becca Hutchinson
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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