A Record High for Private Giving to Rutgers

August 25, 2008

Members of the Rutgers Community:

On Tuesday, news of a record-breaking year for private giving to Rutgers will be released to the media. Before this information reaches the general public, I would like to share some highlights with you.

During the 2007–2008 fiscal year, Rutgers received more than $121 million in new gifts and pledges—the university’s highest annual total to date. This represents an increase of nearly 9 percent over the previous year, in which $111.5 million was raised.

The vast majority of this new giving total is committed to students, faculty, and academic programs. More than $34 million has been designated for student support, including scholarships; $32 million for faculty development; and more than $36 million for program support.

This upward trend in private giving owes much to the university’s rising national profile and the deep commitment of donors to Rutgers’ educational missions. Every gain made by one department helps build the reputation of the entire university. I congratulate each of you, and thank you, for your contributions to this unprecedented support.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey