Record-setting support
Donors contribute record $61 million to UD
9:37 a.m., July 25, 2012--High temperatures aren’t the only things breaking records this summer. University of Delaware President Patrick T. Harker has announced that donors contributed $61,173,804 to the University in fiscal year 2012, exceeding by more than $10 million the annual contribution goal set forth by the University's Board of Trustees. This marks the second consecutive year of record-setting support.
“Our University continues to deepen its impact, thanks to the generosity of University of Delaware alumni and friends,” explains Harker. “Private gifts are the catalyst that allow us to recruit outstanding faculty, provide scholarships and greater access to students of all backgrounds and circumstances and research the pressing issues of our global society. To put it simply: increased funds result in increased opportunities for UD students and faculty to make a positive impact on the world around them.”
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Compared to the previous year, contributions to the University of Delaware increased by 19 percent. According to Monica Taylor, vice president of development and alumni relations, the rise can be attributed to growing recognition of the University of Delaware’s impact on the region -- and the world -- and deeper relationships with individuals and organizations who want to support the University’s mission and progress.
“The University of Delaware has made and continues to make a tremendous difference -- in the lives of our alumni, in our region and throughout the world,” says Taylor. “With our ambitious strategic plan, our steadfast commitment to providing the best education to a talented and diverse student body and our ongoing efforts to support the critical research and teaching goals of our faculty, donors recognize they can support both their own ideals and the mission of the University in very generous, meaningful ways. It’s an exciting time to be involved with UD.”
Major contributions this fiscal year included:
Edmond Sannini and Concetta Frezzo of Summit, N.J. Sannini and Frezzo both received their bachelor’s degrees in business and economics from UD in 1978. Recently, Sannini agreed to volunteer for his alma mater as a member of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Advisory Council. In fiscal year 2012, Sannini and Frezzo made a gift to establish the Sannini Frezzo Scholarship to benefit Delaware residents enrolled in the Lerner College.
“Education has always been a priority for our charitable giving,” says Frezzo. “Since we are both alums of the Lerner College, long before it was called the Lerner College, it was a natural fit for us to establish a scholarship so that a student from Delaware could have this exceptional educational opportunity.”
A. Gilchrist Sparks III, chair of the University's Board of Trustees, said he and the board expect this level of investment to continue. “With ambitious plans for growth and advancement in fiscal year 2013 and beyond, it is vital that we continue forward with the same level of momentum. Projects such as the construction of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab) and the development of a new home for the College of Health Sciences on the Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus will be realized only through private investment. Our students, faculty and the community-at-large benefit greatly from the positive results that these projects and initiatives yield.”
Private gifts to the University of Delaware are managed by the Office of University Development and Alumni Relations. Those wishing to make a contribution to UD can contact Beth G. Brand, associate vice president of development, at bgbrand@udel.edu or by calling 302-831-2104.