Clemson fundraising tops $92.8 million for 2009-2010

Published: August 19, 2010

CLEMSON — Private gifts and pledges to Clemson University totaled $92.8 million for the 2009-2010 fiscal year that ended June 30.

The total includes $57.6 million for the Clemson University Foundation for academics and athletic capital projects, $16.8 million added to the inventory of planned gifts and $18.4 million raised by IPTAY for athletic scholarships.

The foundation received $33.2 million in cash and gifts-in-kind, $8.5 million in pledges and a real estate gift valued at $15.9 million. The majority of the real estate gift will be used for the Clemson University Restoration Institute’s wind-turbine drive-train test facility in North Charleston. The gift comprises land and structures given to Clemson by the State Ports Authority and the Charleston Naval Complex Redevelopment Authority.

The Leadership Circle, a new initiative in 2009 to encourage donors to make major unrestricted gifts to be used at the discretion of the president, dean or other administrators, surpassed $1 million this year. Currently, money raised for that initiative is funding scholarships and work-study jobs for students who may not be able to afford to complete their degrees otherwise.

Overall, gifts to support undergraduate scholarships totaled $4.03 million, and donors gave more than $755,000 to support graduate student aid.

“It is exciting to see such strong support for our students,” said Clemson President James F. Barker. “Now more than ever it is important to make sure that our students are able to complete their degrees and go out into the world with a solid Clemson education. They are the leaders of the future, and helping them achieve their goals today will benefit us all in the long run. This is Clemson at our best.”

Gift highlights for the year include $1 million from ScanSource Inc. to help the College of Business and Behavioral Science move to its new building in downtown Greenville; $3 million from the Cliffs Communities to fund the new Zest Quest program at the Youth Learning Institute; $1 million from PalmettoNet for the Optoelectronics Research Center of Economic Excellence and $5 million from Health Sciences South Carolina to fund the Center of Economic Excellence in Health Facilities Design and Testing.

Alumni support remains strong at a 27.4 percent giving rate, more than double the national average of 12.4 percent. Donations from alumni totaled $6 million, up 19.7 percent from last year.

“Clemson is fortunate to have such a loyal base of alumni to support its faculty and students,” said Brian O’Rourke, director of development and alumni affairs. “I am convinced that Clemson has the best alumni in the nation. Without their support, Clemson would not be the university it is today.”

IPTAY raised $18.4 million and had 14,514 members.

“We are so grateful to our members who have continued to support Clemson athletics despite the tough economy,” said Bill D’Andrea, senior associate athletic director for external affairs. “Not only do IPTAY donors help our student-athletes with scholarships, but private gifts are going to be crucial to us accomplishing our goals to improve facilities this year.”

Current capital projects in athletics include completing the WestZone project and upgrading the northwest concourse area of Memorial Stadium. Plans are under way for a new golf practice facility as well as improvements to the baseball stadium and soccer area at Riggs Field and an expansion of the tennis courts at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.

Major gifts to athletic capital projects this year included $500,000 from Ed and Jane Duckworth of Atlanta to build a new pavilion at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center and $750,000 raised by the Tiger Golf Gathering and former Tiger golfers Lucas Glover, Charles Warren and Jonathan Byrd for a new golf building to be named for golf coach Larry Penley.

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