Established in 1945 by President John C. Baker, The Ohio University Foundation serves as the fund raising arm of Ohio University. The Foundation is an institutionally-related, nonprofit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, and is the repository for all private gifts to Ohio University through annual giving programs, capital and special campaigns, and planned or deferred gifts such as bequests and trusts.
The Foundation is an active partner in the University's mission ofeducation, research, and service, and works aggressively toward these ends. The vital partnership between private philanthropy and public funding touches every part of the University today, helping us to achieve a margin of excellence for which tuition fees and public funding simply do not provide.
Private philanthropy has had a rich and dramatic impact on Ohio University from as early as 1816 when Christopher and Daniel Herrold forgave the debt for the lumber used to build Cutler Hall, to several, more recent capital campaigns. Gifts from generous donors have provided for scholarship and financial aid packages, research and faculty development, capital expansion and renovations, technology upgrades and lab equipment, library acquisitions, and vital unrestricted support that has allowed Ohio University to meet unexpected challenges.
Major capital campaigns at Ohio University:
| Bicentennial Campaign |
$221 million (completed in 2004) |
| The Third Century Campaign |
$132 million (completed in 1994) |
| The 1804 Campaign |
$22.6 million (completed in 1981) |
The Ohio University Foundation raised over $23.9 million in gifts and commitments from a loyal network of nearly 27,000 donors, who have helped the University's overall endowment reach $257 million (as of June 2009). Annual gifts are given by alumni and friends, faculty and staff, corporations, foundations, organizations, and parents of current students. This private support secures for Ohio University a margin of excellence that otherwise would not be possible.
Gift Commitments and Donor Report
Fiscal years 1997 - 2009 YTD
(The numbers below reflect total gift commitments.)
|
Fiscal Year
|
Revenues
|
Donors*
|
|
2009
|
$23.9 million
|
|
|
2008
|
$27 million
|
27,705
|
|
2007
|
$12.9 million
|
28,687
|
|
2006
|
$35 million
|
24,648
|
|
2005
|
$11.7 million
|
31,770
|
|
2004
|
$24.9 million
|
28,796 |
|
2003
|
$20.1 million
|
26,428
|
|
2002
|
$19.6 million
|
25,399
|
|
2001
|
$47.3 million
|
27,926
|
|
2000
|
$35.3 million
|
23,688
|
|
1999
|
$25.1 million
|
25,785
|
|
1998
|
$17.8 million
|
28,092
|
|
1997
|
$12.1 million
|
27,167
|
(*Includes alumni, parents and friends, corporations and foundations, and organizations.)
Awards and Honors
In 1999,the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) awarded the Ohio University Foundation a silver medal for its 1998 FoundationReport from 266 entries in the Individual Fund-Raising Pieces category. The Foundation Report detailed the influence of private support at Ohio University and showcased some of the university's most generous benefactors, using color and black-and-white photographs.
In 1995, CASE awarded Ohio University with the Circle of Excellence in Educational Fundraising Award. This award is based on exemplary performance or outstanding improvement based onfund-raising data from 1992 to 1994.
