Alumni Engagement, Increased Donor Support Propel Syracuse Past FY17 Fundraising Goals

Private gifts to Syracuse University in fiscal year 2017 showed a dramatic 25 percent increase over fiscal year 2016 and helped the University exceed its ambitious $125 million fundraising goal.

The gifts raised this year include $125.7 million in gifts, pledges and gifts-in-kind, highlighted by the University’s spring and fiscal year-end campaign, known as Make Your Mark, which resulted in new and increased giving from more than 2,500 alumni donors.

“Syracuse continues to be a place where our alumni and donors feel confident they are making an investment in the future of our University,” says Matt Ter Molen, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Aggressive goals were set for our team and I couldn’t be more pleased with what we’ve accomplished. We are incredibly grateful to all our supporters who helped make fiscal year 2017 so successful.”

As part of the University’s commitment to opportunity and affordability, 32 new scholarships were established for high-achieving undergraduate students. Increased alumni engagement and giving were spurred thanks to creative marketing and expanded engagement opportunities. In particular, #GivingCUSEday, one of the University’s focused fundraising efforts, was recognized by EverTrue as one of the greatest Giving Tuesday campaigns of 2016.

Fundraising highlights from the year include:

• a $5 million gift from Board of Trustees Chairman Steven W. Barnes ’82 and his wife, Deborah, to create The Barnes Center at the Arch, a new state-of-the-art health, wellness and recreational complex;
• a $3 million gift to the Bandier Program from University Trustee Martin Bandier ’62 to help support students interested in pursuing a career in the business of music;
• a $1 million gift from University Trustee Steven L. Einhorn ’64, G’67 and his wife, Sherry ’65, to transform University Place into a connected, bustling promenade called the Einhorn Family Walk; and
• a major gift from University Trustee John Riley ’61 and his wife, Diane, to establish a new dual degree program that allows Syracuse University students to earn both an MBA from the Whitman School and a bachelor’s degree from the College of Engineering and Computer Science in just five years.

Now that fiscal year 2017 is past, the Division of Advancement and External Affairs (AEA) has now turned its attention to achieving its fiscal year 2018 goals. In fact, the AEA team has been charged with increasing giving by 20 percent over fiscal year 2017.

“Fundraising efforts continue on an upward trajectory and we have set goals of $150 million for fiscal year 2018, which is ambitious but achievable,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said in his remarks to the University Senate on Sept. 7.

Already, fiscal year 2018 fundraising is off to a strong start. Just last week, the University announced a $5.25 million gift from University Trustee Dan Mezzalingua ’60 and his wife, Kathy G’62. The multi-million-dollar gift will support Opportunity Syracuse, a $40 million fundraising effort for new student scholarships. Opportunity Syracuse supports Invest Syracuse, a $100 million initiative that seeks to redefine the student experience, advance discovery and innovation and expand opportunity, access and affordability.

Interested in funding opportunity? To make a gift or to learn more about Invest Syracuse: Advancing Academic Excellence and the Student Experience, visit http://InvestSyracuse.syr.edu.