Rice Annual Fund reaches all-time high in FY08

Rice Annual Fund reaches all-time high in FY ’08

The Rice Annual Fund for Student Life and Learning raised $6,355,707 during fiscal year 2008, surpassing its goal of $6.15 million and making this year the most successful to date. The Rice Annual Fund relies on the generosity of alumni and friends to provide immediate support for undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships and virtually every program that nourishes the university’s student experience.

”We would like to thank everyone who made a gift this year,” said Ginger Nash, director of the Rice Annual Fund. ”Without the kind of unique and loyal constituency that Rice University has, such a record year would not have been possible.”

This year has marked many notable successes for the Rice Annual Fund. Reunion classes raised $2.98 million — the highest reunion giving total in Rice’s history — and more than 585 individuals chose to make a leadership gift of $2,500 or more.

In March, the Rice Annual Fund invited alumni from Rice’s nine residential colleges to outperform their rival colleges in the Alumni Participation Challenge, a contest to achieve the highest participation score based on gifts made to the university. Sid Richardson College achieved the highest participation and won the contest by a slim margin over the previous year’s victor, Jones College. Overall, the contest resulted in 1,399 gifts and $448,559 raised for the Rice Annual Fund in only five weeks.

In fiscal year 2009, the Annual Fund will redouble its efforts with a goal of $6.6 million. To make a gift for the new fiscal year, visit www.giving.rice.edu.