Syracuse University Exceeds $150 Million Fundraising Goal, Broadens Donor Support and Experiences Significant Boost in $1 Million Gifts

Syracuse University has achieved and exceeded its ambitious fundraising goal for the 2018 fiscal year, spurred in part by the excitement, energy and commitment generated by the Invest Syracuse campaign to fund the academic strategic plan and support student success. The Division of Advancement and External Affairs announced that gifts, pledges and gifts-in-kind from individuals, foundations and organizations totaled $150,087,407—a near-20-percent increase from the year before and more than double the total raised five years ago.

Last fall, Chancellor Kent Syverud called the $150 million goal both “ambitious and achievable,” intended to continue the upward trajectory in donor support. The previous year’s fundraising totaled $125.7 million.

“Syracuse University has won the hearts and confidence of tens of thousands of alumni, parents and other friends, many of whom were particularly generous with us this year,” Chancellor Syverud says. “They are inspired by the shared vision of this University as a truly distinctive global research leader where students are uniquely prepared to succeed personally and professionally.” So inspired in fact, there was a 37 percent increase in gifts totaling more than $1 million.

“Across all class years and generations, alumni are demonstrating their commitment to the Orange,” says Matt Ter Molen, senior vice president and chief advancement officer. “Nearly 23,000 alumni gave us gifts of significant dollars and support for the vision of Syracuse University. That’s a 22 percent increase in the number of alumni donors from the year before. As we head toward our sesquicentennial celebration in 2020, we are heartened by the broadening base of support, and we are grateful. The total raised in 2018 is the second-largest single fundraising year in the history of Syracuse University. We look forward to reporting on the progress we are able to make because of the generosity of alumni and friends. Private philanthropy is the key to unlocking opportunities and delivering on the ambitious goals of the University and the dreams of our students.”

A critical element of fundraising success this past year was donor interest in ensuring that talented students from across the socioeconomic spectrum have access to extraordinary educational opportunities. More than $24 million was raised as part of the Invest Syracuse campaign to provide scholarships to deserving students. Also, during the first ever 24-hour Giving Day event known as Boost the ’Cuse, thousands of alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends of the University made gifts totaling more than $1.7 million to ensure access for future generations of students. That total was achieved with a generous $500,000 challenge from Life Trustee Daniel A. D’Aniello ’68 and his wife, Gayle.

Other fundraising highlights include:

• A $20 million gift from U.S. Navy veteran D’Aniello and the D’Aniello family, one of the single largest gifts in University history, to support construction of the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC). Chancellor Syverud described the gift as “profoundly transformative,” one that will allow the University to fulfill its promise of being the best place for veterans. The D’Aniellos’ contribution to the NVRC was in addition to a $2.5 million annual gift they made to support the Chancellor’s strategic priorities, as well as programs benefiting veterans and their families.
• University Life Trustee Daniel Mezzalingua ’60 and his wife, Kathy, made a $5.25 million gift in support of undergraduate financial aid, helping to deliver on the promise of the Invest Syracuse Initiative to provide $40 million in new student scholarships by fiscal year 2019.
• A $3.5 million gift from alumnus Kwang Tan G’73, Ph.D., will help ensure SU students have access to comprehensive health, wellness and recreation services and resources by supporting significant renovations to Archbold Gymnasium, which includes the creation of the Barnes Center at The Arch, a new state-of-the-art holistic health and recreation complex.
• University Life Trustee William “Bill” F. Allyn G’59 and his wife, Janet “Penny” Jones Allyn ’60, made a $2.28 million gift to enhance the student experience in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and help students across the University bring their inventions to life in a new accelerator to be named the Bill and Penny Allyn Innovation Center.
• University Life Trustee John Riley ’61 and his wife, Diane, made a $2.3 million gift to create the H. John and Diane M. Riley Dual Engineering/M.B.A. Endowed Scholarship fund. The fund will provide the opportunity and financial support to undergraduate students, regardless of economic background, interested in jointly completing a bachelor’s degree in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and an M.B.A. in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York state, with a global footprint and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit http://syracuse.edu.