University Development Accomplishments 2009-2010

Fundraising

The University raised $3.5 million from 2,200 donors in 2009-2010. Approximately two-thirds of the gifts were designated for scholarships, endowments and other campus programs. Approximately one-third of the gifts were designated for the Green Music Center capital campaign and future operations.

The Alumni online community and alumni Facebook page were launched with an appeal to younger alums.
A monthly email alumni newsletter attracted more readers and combined with new online event membership and event registration resulted in greatly increased participation.
A young alumni group was launched with the first event in San Francisco attracting more than 100 alums.
A two-day career workshop was conducted with sold out sessions.
The redesigned Distinguished Alumni event attracted record participation. The first reunion for lifetime members of the Alumni Association was held with great success.

The Annual Giving program continued its efforts to increase participation and encourage alums to reconnect and give to their school or department resulting in a 50% increase in giving despite the economic downturn. A test pilot was launched with SSU student callers to 2009 graduates to ask them to participate in the annual fund resulting in a 54% response rate.

Scholarship endowment donors generously responded to an appeal to help meet the economic crisis by giving outright gifts to support SSU students to supplement the diminished annual endowment distribution.