Private support for Fresno State totaled nearly $21 million for
the 1997-98 fiscal year - an increase of 69 percent over the previous
year and a record for the university.
Documents prepared last week by University Advancement show gifts of $20,760,447, which includes $8,092,758 for Athletics. Private support includes new cash, cash-equivalent gifts and pledges.
Especially important is a marked increase - nearly 35 percent - in endowed gifts, which bring perpetual financial resources to Fresno State.
A few decades ago aggressive fund raising was nearly unheard of on campus, but philanthropic support became a necessity with dwindling state funds. Each year an increasing number of the faculty see firsthand the benefits of private support.
"Fund raising is an integral part of our program," said Dickran Kouymjian, director of the Armenian Studies Program. "Our friends and alumni have helped build this program into one of the finest and largest [Armenian studies programs] in the world."
Kouymjian said that Armenian Studies is dependent on fund raising and that it must use private support to pay the salary and benefits for its secretarial position, as well as other office functions.
The program's fund raising success now includes endowed gifts that add up to more than $1 million.
At a press conference last spring, head basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian and Lois Tarkanian announced a $100,000 gift to the Henry Madden Library and Dean Michael Gorman immediately announced, "I'm going to spend it on books."
Gorman said the beginning of this decade marked a substantial decrease in funds allotted to purchase necessary materials for the library. Private support was one of the only avenues the library had to try to make up for this reduction.
One of the most visible projects made possible by a private gift of $1,135,000 is the Downing Planetarium, on which construction began last week.
"Our faculty, alumni and friends raised $20,000 to get the project started and, now with the Downing gift, we are on our way to building a first-rate facility," said Planetarium Director Steven White. Downing also gave an additional $240,000 for endowed scholarships.
"Fund raising is something you have to work at before you see the benefits," said Dr. Mike Russler, professor of nursing. "It is an extension of our role as faculty when we work with the graduates and alumni to enhance the current students' opportunities and resources."
For the last 14 years, Russler has worked on a variety of nursing fund-raising projects, from starting a nursing alumni chapter to telephoning alumni for donations.
Friends and colleagues noted that Russler played a significant part in raising funds for enhancing the Nursing Lab with updated equipment and software.
"If we see our teaching as ending after the senior year, then we have made a mistake because we missed an opportunity to connect them [alumni] with their profession and the university," said Russler.
$2,943,758
Earl and Muriel Smittcamp for the Smittcamp Family Honors College
and the Smittcamp Alumni House
$1,500,000
First USA Bank for the Save Mart Center
$1,375,000
F. Harold Downing, M.D., for the Downing Planetarium
$510,000
Sid and Jenny Craig Foundation for the Sid Craig School of Business
$431,250
Anonymous donor for the School of Education and Human Development
Capital Campaign
Agricultural Sciences and Technology
$ 1,901,927
Arts and Humanities
$419,287
Bulldog Foundation/Athletic Corporation
$8,092,758
Education and Human Development
$1,328,255
Engineering and Computer Sciences
$371,266
Health and Human Services
$79,281
Henry Madden Library
$468,160
Natural Sciences
$1,137,327
Sid Craig School of Business
$782,022
Social Sciences
$184,130
Other donations*
$5,996,034
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS = $20,760,447
* Gifts in this category were received for the Honors College, the Foundation, the Division of Graduate Studies, the Division of Student Affairs, scholarships, multiple schools (combined gifts), the Alumni House, the Save Mart Center, and miscellaneous.
Grants
$3,709,521
Contracts
$8,991,854
TOTAL SPECIAL REVENUES = $12,701,375
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