CSULB donations decline by $5M
Press-Telegram 1/24/07
Total gift commitments in the 2005-2006 fiscal year at CSULB stood at $20.2 million, down from $25 million the previous year, according to a report presented Tuesday at a meeting of the California State University Board of Trustees.
Total gift receipts - new gifts and pledge payments received by the university - were $12.7 million, down from $18.2 million in 2004-2005.
Over about the past year, CSULB has seen a new president and athletic director, and soon it will have a new provost.
The university about a year ago also hired Andrea Taylor as the new vice president for university relations and development - the post that oversees fundraising.
The management changes may have led to a wait-and-see attitude among potential donors, Taylor said.
"It's difficult for donors to give if they don't know who they are giving to," she said. "So I think there was a pause until new leadership was in place."
Taylor said that there are indications CSULB is reversing the trend this fiscal year. Giving is up compared with the same time frame last year, she said.
The university has increased fundraising staff and the number of personal visits to potential donors, she said.
Cal State Dominguez Hills also saw a dip in giving in 2005-2006. Total gift commitments were $1.2 million, down from $2.5 million the previous year. Gift receipts were down slightly, to $2.3 million.