September 12, 2005

Private-sector fund raising brings in $273 million for Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University announced today (Monday, Sept. 12) that private fund raising and non-government sponsored research and programs brought in $273 million in the recently concluded fiscal year.

Of that amount, gifts to the university's Campaign for Purdue account for $242 million, the second highest annual total in Purdue fund-raising history, said President Martin C. Jischke. Last fall Jischke raised the goal for the seven-year campaign from $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion. The campaign, which will conclude in 2007, has raised $1.2 billion to date.

The $273 million raised during the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2004, to June 30 includes $94 million in net cash and equivalents, $51 million in gifts-in-kind and real estate, $5 million in irrevocable deferred gifts, $92 million in new pledge commitments, and $31 million in additional research grants from private-sector sources.

"It is extremely encouraging that we have this level of private support as we finish our final years of the seven-year campaign," Jischke said. "We are truly bucking a trend in philanthropy. These numbers demonstrate the tremendous commitment of our contributors and are a testament to the positive impact Purdue is making with our students and for our state and nation.

"We're also pleased to report that at a time when the rate of growth for federal research funding is dropping, the Purdue share is growing. At the state level, the university also has ramped up to transfer discovery to market, promoting economic development and leading to an increase in support from the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund."

On the fund-raising front, the number of gifts received this past year total 90,628, which is 12 percent higher than the five-year average of 81,080 gifts.

Support from Purdue alumni and former students totaled more than $76 million, corporations gave nearly $79 million, private foundation support set a new record at nearly $48 million, and friends and other organizations combined to give another $39 million.

"We continue to be inspired by the amounts of these gifts," said Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement. "The level of generosity demonstrated by these contributors has been instrumental in making Purdue a world-class university."

Michael Birck, chairman of the Campaign for Purdue and a member of the university's board of trustees, said these gifts reflect the commitment necessary to maintain Purdue's reputation as a top-tier research university.

"When we launched this seven-year campaign, we didn't know how far we would reach," Birck said. "But our Purdue family has responded with a level of support that is truly amazing. Their dedication has helped Purdue move to the next level."

The top gifts and pledges made during the 2005 fiscal year were:

• A $25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to start four new interdisciplinary research centers and to provide operational support for six existing centers at Discovery Park. The four new centers are for research on the environment, oncology, energy and cyber infrastructure.

• A $23.65 million gift-in-kind from EMC Corp. to provide storage capacity and storage-area network management for up to 100 times the current capacity of Purdue's existing data-storage network.

• A $20 million anonymous planned gift for the School of Chemical Engineering to support biotechnology initiatives.

• A $10 million gift from the Weldon Foundation Inc. to name the School of Biomedical Engineering. Norman R. and Carol J. Weldon, along with Thomas D. and Cheryl Weldon, made this gift possible.

• A $5 million gift from Caterpillar Inc., including $2.5 million for three learning modules in the new Neil A. Armstrong Hall of Engineering. It also includes $1 million for the School of Mechanical Engineering's Product Engineering and Realization Laboratory, as well as $1 million for programs for recruitment, retention and K-12 initiatives for diversity in the College of Engineering, School of Technology and Krannert School of Management. An additional $500,000 will be made available to match gifts from Caterpillar employees.

• A $4 million gift-in-kind from IBM for Purdue's Calumet campus consisting of software and course materials for the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics.

• A $3.65 million gift from Susan B. Butler for program support and an endowed chair in the Center of Leadership Excellence within Discovery Park. Both the chair and center will be named for Butler in honor of her volunteer leadership and generosity.

• A $3 million gift from the Regenstrief Foundation to launch the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering within Purdue's Discovery Park. The center's goal is to apply the expertise of almost every area of the university to improve the delivery of health care to consumers.

• A $2.6 million gift-in-kind from Dell Inc. to provide instructional and computational computing equipment for Purdue computing laboratories.

• A $2.3 million planned gift from James E. and Diane Perrella to support the James and Diane Perrella Laboratory in the School of Mechanical Engineering.

• A $2.2 million gift from the estate of Nancy Combs for the College of Agriculture.

• A $2.2 million planned gift from Purdue Provost Sally K. Mason and Purdue continuing lecturer Kenneth A. Mason to fund the Sally K. and Kenneth A. Mason Fund, which will support programs in the Discovery Learning Center in Discovery Park.

• $2 million in gifts and pledges from Purdue's chairman of the board of trustees J. Timothy McGinley and his wife, Jane C. McGinley, to support the Purdue Opportunity Awards.

Campaign fund raising supports the objectives of Purdue's strategic plan, which includes efforts to increase funds for student scholarships, faculty recruitment and retention, programs and centers, facilities and equipment, and unrestricted purposes.

The Campaign for Purdue, which began in 2000, was publicly announced in 2001. The campaign is scheduled for completion in mid-2007. The effort is both the largest in Purdue history and the largest university campaign in Indiana.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708

Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement, (765) 496-2144, mblackwelder@purdue.edu

Greg Kapp, university development office, (765) 494-9888, gkapp@purdue.edu

Cheryl Altinkemer, senior director of development in charge of community campaign, (765) 494-8218, caltinkemer@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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