University of Minnesota wins national award for fund raising

Contact:	Martha Douglas, University of Minnesota Foundation, (612) 626-9712 Mark Cassutt, University News Service, (612) 624-8038

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (8/2/2006) -- The University of Minnesota has won a 2006 CASE-WealthEngine Award for Educational Fund Raising, which honors superior fund-raising programs across the country. The award is based on the amount of voluntary support the institutions receive. Minnesota was one of 10 schools honored for continuously high fund-raising performance during the fiscal years 2000-2005.

“This award is a reflection of the generosity of so many alumni and friends who value higher education and want to help build the University of Minnesota,” said Gerald Fischer, president and CEO of the University of Minnesota Foundation, which tracks and reports all gifts to the university. “I expect this trend to continue. Higher education is a top philanthropic priority for donors nationally, and many University of Minnesota alumni and friends are excited by the changes the university is making toward its goal of becoming one of the top three public research universities in the world.”

The period covered by this award includes the last four years of the seven-year Campaign Minnesota, which raised $1.67 billion for the university. Voluntary support, which measures gifts and non-contractual research grants, was $194 million in fiscal year 2000 and $265 million in fiscal 2005. “We've seen tremendous growth in giving to the university during these years. Private giving has made a substantial positive difference in supporting students, faculty, university programs and research, while advancing the excellence of, and access to, this great university,” said Fischer.

Institutions become eligible for consideration for the WealthEngine Award when they submit annual fund-raising data to the Council for Aid to Education’s Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey for three or more consecutive years. This year, 1,246 institutions were eligible.

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