Rice Annual Fund sets multiple records

The Rice Annual Fund raised a record $7.6 million in undesignated philanthropic gifts for current use in the 2013 fiscal year, which ended June 30.

Gifts to the Rice Annual Fund “keep Rice, Rice” by enhancing the core elements of a Rice education and creating new opportunities for student achievement.

The total, comprised of gifts from more than 13,600 alumni, parents and friends, surpassed the previous record of $7.3 million set in 2012.

“This represents a 5 percent increase in support for today’s Rice students in the areas of undergraduate scholarship and graduate fellowship, residential and campus life and support for faculty and research,” said Michele Boillotat, director of the Rice Annual Fund.

Thirty-one percent of alumni participated in giving to Rice this year — a 3-percentage-point increase over 2012 and a rate not seen since 2010. Participation by young alumni increased by 2 percentage points – a rate of growth not seen since 2009.

Boillotat noted that several smaller, but very important, records also were set during fiscal year 2013:

* The Class of 1962 honored their 50th golden reunion with a record of more than $6.8 million in total gifts for Rice. Their giving participation rate was 86 percent — a record for the highest participation of any other class in a reunion giving campaign.

* The Class of 2007 also exhibited great enthusiasm for Rice during their celebratory year by raising a record $88,830 fifth-reunion gift with 30 percent participation.

* The Rice Annual Fund total includes a record $547,000 raised from current and past parents. This is a 6 percent increase over last year’s all-time high of $515,000.

* Through the For Rice, By Rice campaign launched to invite faculty and staff to support Rice in its centennial year, more than $3.7 million was raised in gifts for a variety of purposes across campus.

* The 5/10 Donor Challenge, a giving challenge held May 10 in honor of the university’s 100th commencement, set an all-time record for the number of gifts received for the Rice Annual Fund in one day: 1,200. These gifts were contributed by alumni of all ages, parents, faculty, staff and friends. As a result of this accomplishment, the Rice Annual Fund received $100,000 from an anonymous donor to support today’s student experience. This, combined with the donations received from the Rice community, resulted in a one-day giving total of $270,000.