CSUN University News Clippings

UCI private donations plunge by $46 million

(July 30, 2009)

by Ben Young Landis
Published: 7/29/09

In a drop largely tied to the recession, UC Irvine’s private donations plunged by more than $46 million during the fiscal year that ended June 30, slowing the university’s first $1 billion capital campaign. This downturn will likely affect the university’s ability to fund scholarships, and it makes it harder for UCI to cope with the $77 million it’s been told to cut to help the state balance its budget.

UC Irvine obtained about $83.8 million over the past year, down from a record $130 million the year before, the university says.

UC Irvine saw decreases in both cash gifts and pledges. Individual donors on average appear to be giving less: the number of individual gifts in 2008-2009 actually slightly surpassed the previous total.

Many universities across the U.S. are reporting similar or larger decreases in fundraising this past year, UC Irvine reported. According to GivingUSA, a philanthropy research foundation, education donations have experienced an average drop of 1.9 percent during recessions post-1967.

There have been exceptions. Chapman University in Orange raised about $62.4 million during the past fiscal year, the second highest in campus history.

“In light of the huge economic impact on people across the United States, in California and Orange County, our donors continue to be very generous,” Tom Mitchell, UC Irvine’s Vice Chancellor of University Advancement, said in a statement.

But the university expects the decreasing trend to continue in the coming year. Mitchell believes that uncertainty in the stock market and other investments affects people’s decision in making larger, long-term commitments.

Publication: Orange County Register