Duke University received a record-high amount in philanthropic contributions for the second year in a row -- $441.8 million between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.The total was a 7.5 percent increase over the $410.9 million received in the 2012-13 fiscal year. The number of donors also went up, from 109,013 to 110,962.All gifts count toward Duke Forward, a seven-year fundraising campaign that supports Duke’s 10 schools and units, university programs and Duke Medicine. The campaign, which has reached $2.17 billion of its $3.25 billion goal, encompasses all gifts the university receives by June 30, 2017. Money raised by the campaign will be used to enrich the student experience in and out of the classroom, invest in exceptional faculty, and support research and initiatives focused on training leaders to address some of society’s most pressing challenges."On behalf of the university, I want to express how grateful we are for the extraordinary support we’ve received this year,” said President Richard H. Brodhead. “The generosity of Duke alumni and friends expands the potential of what Duke can do -- creating transformative opportunities for our stellar faculty and students and providing resources for them to continue engaging with global problems.” The Duke Annual Fund, which provides flexible operating support for Duke and fuels all the priorities of the campaign, received a record $35 million from alumni, parents, students and friends. The annual fund helps cover the cost of financial aid, faculty support and educational programming for all of Duke's undergraduate, graduate and professional schools, as well as the operations of the libraries, Duke Gardens, Duke Chapel and Nasher Museum of Art. Alumni J. Michael and Christine Pearson made the largest single gift to Duke in 2013-14, a commitment of $30 million to the Pratt School of Engineering to advance engineering and science education across the university. The Pearsons' gift will support interdisciplinary programs, courses and research at Pratt, including major initiatives in collaboration with Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. Duke Medicine was awarded $15 million by The Marcus Foundation to support an innovative research program that explores the use of umbilical cord blood cells to treat autism, stroke, cerebral palsy and related brain disorders. The Atlanta-based philanthropic organization will fund the first two years of a five-year, $41 million project led by Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of Duke’s Robertson Cell and Translational Therapy Program, and Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., director of the Duke Center for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment. Other significant commitments in 2013-14 included:-- $10 million from Duke trustee Bob Penn and his wife, Katherine, in support of a new 25,000-square-foot events and dining pavilion for students.-- $10 million from members of the Crown family to create opportunities for social and intellectual interaction in the renovated student union on West Campus.-- $7.5 million from The Duke Endowment for fellowships to provide increased and year-round support for Ph.D. candidates at The Graduate School.-- $5 million from the Bacca Foundation to establish an undergraduate program that focuses on building strong communications skills in traditional and new media.-- $3 million from alumna Bettye Martin Musham to establish a directorship for Islamic studies. "Every gift we get, no matter the amount, helps to support and build on Duke’s impact on the world and what makes our university distinctive -- its commitment to knowledge in the service to society and its focus on learning both in and outside the classroom,” said Robert S. Shepard, vice president for alumni affairs and development. “We’re extremely grateful to our alumni and friends for contributing to Duke’s continued success.”
