UMBC’s alumni showed themselves to be true “Retriever Believers” this fiscal year, helping UMBC to exceed its goals for alumni giving for Fiscal Year 2012, the Office of Development reports.
Final numbers for the fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, showed that:
- 2,515 alumni donors contributed during FY12, a 17% increase over FY11
- Alumni donors contributed $316,780, a 5.6% increase over our FY12 goal
- 517 alumni gave for the first time this year; of that group, 63% are graduates of the last ten years
- UMBC had an 84% pledge fulfillment rate (industry standard is 70%)
Annual Fund gifts have an immediate and direct impact on academic and other resources for UMBC students. Because State funds provide less than 25% of the University’s operating budget and tuition and fees alone do not cover the full cost of a UMBC education, these yearly gifts to the University help to keep a UMBC education within reach for our students and families and support the core elements of UMBC’s academic programs.
This year has been very successful for UMBC’s annual giving program,” said Dayna Carpenter, coordinator of Annual Giving. “For the first time in five years, we’ve had an across the board increase in all of our donor numbers including alumni, parents, and faculty and staff.”
UMBC’s Office of Development beefed up Annual Giving operations this year, most notably unveiling a new student Phonathon calling program. Students in the program enjoyed talking with alumni, sharing stories, comparing notes about classes – and even taking away valuable career advice.
“We are truly grateful to all of the donors who made gift to UMBC this year,” said Carpenter. “They’ve helped to create and sustain scholarships and other important programming that enhances the lives of students at UMBC.”
