April 2004

Alumni Giving Reaches Record High

AU is about to close the books on another fiscal year, and the final numbers are adding up to a record year for fund-raising. As of Thursday, April 29th, 12,633 alumni made gifts to AU.

“That translates to an alumni participation rate of 18 percent, which is an increase of one percent over last year,” says Tracey Vranich, senior director of Annual Campaigns and Alumni Programs. “That one percentage point represents almost 700 more alumni donors than last year.”

Even more exciting, the Office of Development brought in more than $17.8 million in cash and pledges this year, compared with $12.6 million last year. “We’re thrilled to be more than $4 million above where we were last year,” says Al Checcio, vice president of Development. “This is the sort of growth we’ve been looking for, and we hope to continue along this path as we move forward with the campaign for A new AU.

AU kicked off the $200 million, A new AU capital campaign in October 2003 at the annual President’s Circle recognition dinner. Campaign priorities include facilities, endowments, academic enhancements, athletics, the arts, campus life, the Fund for Excellence, and WAMU.

Checcio, Vranich, and the entire development team have been working hard to raise the alumni participation rate – and awareness about its importance to AU’s reputation – over the last few years. Alumni participation is one of several measures used by organizations that rank colleges and universities, such as U.S. News & World Report. Just a few years ago, in 2001, only 11 percent of AU alumni made a gift, compared with 18 percent this year. In the world of higher education, a high alumni participation rate is a sign of a strong university.

"It's encouraging to see us making this real progress," adds Checcio. "I look forward to seeing the numbers increase as the campaign unfolds and the AU community sees that A new AU has a little something for everyone in it."

For more information about A new AU, the campaign for American University, or to make a gift, visit the campaign Web site at, http://american.edu/anewau

Back to newsletter