A Record-Breaking Year for Private Support

A record $8.2 million in private support was raised by California State University, East Bay during the last fiscal year, more than three times the amount raised the previous year.

The total raised as of June 30, 2005 reflected gifts, pledges and private grants from corporations, foundations and nearly 2,000 individuals, including more than 1,300 alumni. In addition to the 44 percent increase in gifts and commitments, the university also reported receiving bequest intentions currently valued at more than $2.5 million.

Gift receipts, which are gifts and payments on prior year pledges, were more than double the previous year's total.

"One of the most exciting things about this record level of giving is that it comes from so many different sources," said university President Norma Rees. "It demonstrates that there is broad and growing support for developing Cal State East Bay as a truly regional university. Now, our challenge is to build on this momentum."

"Private giving is an important element in the university's future," said Bob Burt, vice president for University Advancement, the principal fund-raising office of for Cal State East Bay. "We can't rely on the state budget to meet all of our needs for scholarships, technology, new buildings and upgraded classrooms and laboratories."

The largest gifts helped complete the fund-raising campaign for the Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center, now under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2006. The Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation contributed $5 million toward the 67,000 square-foot, $27.7 million project, and the Kresge Foundation added a $600,000 challenge grant.

One of the elements contributing to the record-breaking year was the launch of a secure Web site enabling donors to make contributions using their credit cards at the "Make a Gift" link on the home page of virtually every academic department at the university. The main Web link is "Giving to CSUEB" and is located on the university home page at www.csueastbay.edu.

As the Business and Technology Center campaign neared completion last year, President Rees launched a university-wide dialogue that led her to select new fund-raising priorities. The university is now focusing its fund-raising efforts on increasing contributions for scholarships, math and science education and research, facilities and technology, and the Cal State East Bay Leadership Fund. The Leadership Fund receives all unrestricted gifts supporting the university and its departments and programs.

"With these new priorities now in place we can demonstrate to corporations, foundations, friends of the university, and our 90,000 alumni that the university has set a precise course for its future development," said Tim Silva, chair of the Cal State East Bay Educational Foundation. The foundation works in partnership with University Advancement to oversee private giving to Cal State East Bay and the investment of its endowment funds.

"We look at this record-breaking year as a starting point," Silva said. "The new fund-raising priorities will help us build on this success."

Contact: Kim Huggett, Dir. of Public Affairs, (510) 885-2032, or Barry Zepel, Media Relations Officer, (510) 885-3884