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Eight Straight - Another record fundraising year


Carolina posted its eighth straight record year for gifts and private grants in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Based on preliminary figures, about 57,000 donors gave $165 million in fiscal 2000, a 10 percent increase in dollars over the 1999 total.

"It's really remarkable," said Margie Crowell, associate vice chancellor for development in the Office of University Development. "The University's friends go full steam ahead from one year to the next. Their gifts clearly are a tribute to the excellence of our faculty, staff and students. We have something really special at Carolina."

Active and retired faculty and staff are generous donors to the University. In the year just ended, almost 2,000 employees gave more than $1 million to benefit a wide range of departments, schools and units.

But the biggest splash in fiscal 2000 was made by Julian and Josie Robertson's $12 million gift, the largest ever by living individual donors and part of a combined $24 million they gave to UNC and Duke to start a scholarship program for students who will study at both schools.

Julian Robertson, who grew up in Salisbury and earned a business degree from Carolina in 1955, is a legendary stock picker and former hedge-fund manager in New York. The Robertsons have one son who graduated from Duke and another currently enrolled at Carolina.

Of fiscal 2000's total gifts and private grants, $151 million will benefit academics and $14 million, athletics. Carolina follows national reporting standards in adding gifts to the Educational Foundation (Rams Club) to the total given to support academic departments, schools and units.

Carolina students will benefit from $17.8 million given for undergraduate scholarships (including $12 million from the Robertsons) and $4.7 million for graduate and professional student support.

Support for Carolina's faculty and staff totaled $10.2 million, the bulk of it for endowed professorships.

"The totals we report are important because they support our mission and they affect our national standing," Crowell said. "But I hope everyone realizes how important -- and how appreciated -- are all the individual acts of generosity.

"Think about the dozens of checks sent in June by faculty, staff and students to honor Provost Dick Richardson at his retirement. Those gifts will give pleasure to all who sit on the new oak benches for quiet moments of contemplation or conversation. And think about the hundreds of memorial gifts last summer that became the Michael Hooker scholarship fund. Gifts are individual expressions of appreciation and respect."


Carolina makes its CASE again

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) last month presented its Circle of Excellence Award for Overall Fund-raising Performance to the University.

The award, which honors superior fund-raising programs, marks the sixth time Carolina has received the award in eight years. Carolina is the only public university to have won the award six times.

"Carolina's generous alumni and friends deserve the credit for our consistent fund-raising success," said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for university advancement. "We are a top national university because alumni and friends are inspired by the ever-increasing quality of our faculty, students and programs. Their gifts help us become even better."

Schools do not apply for the award. Judging is based on objective data submitted to the Council for Aid to Education's Voluntary Support of Education survey. The award recognizes institutions that show solid program growth, breadth in the base of support and other indications of a mature, well-maintained program.


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