October 19, 2011

Private Giving to UC Santa Barbara Reached Nearly $35 Million in 2010-11, Bringing Campus's Campaign Total to $623 Million

Eileen Conrad

The Campaign for UC Santa Barbara continues to attract strong philanthropic support for the campus, thus far generating more than $623 million for priority projects and initiatives to ensure UCSB's excellence for future generations.

Of that total, UCSB received $34.8 million in gifts and pledges from alumni, parents, and friends during 2010-11 for scholarships, research, and pioneering academic programs.

Contributions and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporations were distributed across the disciplines with a substantial increase in alumni giving and support for students. By the end of the fiscal year on June 30, the campus had received 17,551 gifts.

UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang expressed his deep appreciation for the ongoing generosity and devotion of alumni and friends. "Your visionary gifts have helped us build a brilliant faculty, recruit and support highly motivated students, and enhance our innovative research and education programs," he said.

"Such generous support is especially heartwarming during this economically challenging time. UC Santa Barbara is honored to partner with you as we move forward with renewed vigor into the next phase of our campaign."

The Campaign for UC Santa Barbara will continue to build on UCSB's strengths while developing new opportunities for creativity and innovation.

It will support transformational research across the disciplines, dedicated teaching, and public service to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of California and our global society.

Since the campaign was launched in 2000, private giving has increased substantially, resulting in the campus's top fund-raising years.

UCSB's endowment has grown by $130 million.

A total of 60 new endowed professorships have been established to advance teaching and research.

Also, 170 new graduate fellowships have been created.

Major capital projects and campus enhancements were also completed.

California has been hit particularly hard by the economic crises, resulting in significant budget reductions for the University of California and its campuses.

Although philanthropic contributions to UCSB were down from $44.5 million the previous year, alumni giving rose by $1 million to $3.6 million during 2010-11.

Scholarship and fellowship support exceeded $5 million, helping to counteract the rising cost of a UC education.

The donations will help advance "Project You Can," a University of California systemwide effort to raise $1 billion in financial aid to ensure educational access for all qualified students.

Major gifts for students included a $550,000 bequest from Ardis Higgins for endowed scholarships and fellowships in music; $1 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for undergraduate research in the sciences; and $1 million from the Walton Foundation for graduate fellowships at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. Instructional support reached nearly $469,000.

Longtime campus benefactor Sara Miller McCune made a $1.5 million contribution to Arts & Lectures in the form of an endowment and programming support.

Alumnus Scott Frank, an award-winning screenwriter, donated an additional $250,000 to expand the screenwriting curriculum in film and media studies and support related public programming in the Pollock Theater at the Carsey-Wolf Center.

Gifts and grants for faculty research totaled $13.1 million, and included $400,000 from the Waitt Foundation to launch the Sustainable Ocean Solutions project in the Bren School, a joint venture with the Marine Science Institute. In addition, UCSB alumnus Richard Whited and his wife, Paula, made a $1 million contribution to establish an endowed chair to support the teaching and research of an outstanding assistant professor with interdisciplinary research interests focusing on energy efficiency.

Unrestricted gifts, which help create special educational opportunities for students, amounted to $2.1 million.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.