In a climate of economic uncertainty, alumni and friends of the University of California, Santa Barbara demonstrated their strong support for the campus by contributing a record $51.3 million in philanthropic gifts and pledges during 2001-02.
In terms of philanthropic support, the fiscal year that ended June 30 was the campus's most successful ever, surpassing the banner fund-raising achievement of the previous year by more than $3 million.
Over the past three years, annual private support for the campus from individuals, corporations, and foundations has more than doubled.
"I am grateful for the extraordinary generosity of UCSB's caring friends and alumni, and for the tireless efforts of all our colleagues, in helping us set a new record for fund-raising last year," said UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang.
"Together we raised nearly $52 million -- that's a million dollars a week!
We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue to set new standards of excellence for our great university."
Major gifts and grants for teaching, research, student and programmatic support were distributed across the disciplines.
UCSB received a total of 16,900 individual contributions, up nearly seven percent from the previous year.
A number of generous benefactors made permanent investments in UCSB's future in the form of endowments amounting to more than $24 million.
Income generated by such gifts provides perpetual funding for specific purposes designated by donors.
Major contributions included two gifts totaling $7.5 million from The Kavli Foundation and the Kavli Institute, established by UCSB Foundation trustee Fred Kavli.
The grants are for the Institute for Theoretical Physics, which has been named in Kavli's honor.
In addition, four endowed chairs were established with contributions of $1 million and more from UCSB Foundation trustee Fred Gluck (for the director of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics); Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (chemical engineering); Warren and Katharine Schlinger (chemical engineering); and the William Bowes Foundation, the Franklin and Catherine Johnson Foundation, and The Rathmann Family Foundation (biochemistry and molecular biology).
The Amgen Foundation also established a laboratory for the chair holder in biochemistry and molecular biology. Endowed chairs and related support make it possible for institutions to offer incentives to retain outstanding professors and to recruit new ones.
"These fund-raising results are a reflection of the enthusiastic work by foundation trustees, faculty, campus leaders, the professional development staff, and the significant generosity of trustees, friends, alumni and parents, coupled with a growing recognition of the outstanding programs at a transformed university," said Gary Greinke, associate vice chancellor for development.
Corporate and foundation support for research and technology transfer also increased substantially.
The California NanoSystems Institute, a research enterprise operated jointly by UCSB and UCLA, received more than $10 million to advance knowledge critical to the future of the state's economy.
Other gifts and grants included $2.5 million from the family foundation of television producer Marcy Carsey, a trustee of The UCSB Foundation, to help build a Center for the Study of Film, Television and New Media; and $1.2 million from the W. M. Keck Foundation to develop new techniques and technologies for the conservation of natural resources and environmental restoration.
"Private giving is essential to UCSB's continued success," said John M. Wiemann, vice chancellor for institutional advancement, of which development is a part.
"That our donors recognize the importance of philanthropic support to this campus is extremely gratifying."
Today, state funding accounts for only about one-third of UCSB's total budget and is designated for fundamental expenses.
Private giving works in concert with the state's commitment.
This public-private partnership plays a significant and growing role in enhancing the university's research and teaching capabilities.
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