LINCOLN — The University of Nebraska Foundation announced Friday at its annual meeting of trustees it transferred a record $89.5 million to the University of Nebraska’s four campuses during its last fiscal year. Most of the funding provided aid for student scholarships, campus and building improvements, academic programs and research.
The fundraising year was the foundation’s third best, having received $104.7 million in total gifts, bequests and life insurance proceeds. Last year was the organization’s best year and 1997 was its second best.
The market value of the foundation’s assets for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, totaled $1.6 billion. The total return on the foundation’s main endowment fund, which is a portion of its total assets, was 17.6 percent for the year.
“The many people who care about this university must be given recognition for their support,” said Terry Fairfield, CEO. “On behalf of the students, teachers and staff — as well as the many others whose lives are touched by the activities of the university — we cannot thank them enough for their devotion.”
The benefits transferred to the university include more than $35.7 million for campus and building improvements and $24.3 million for academic programs. More than $15.4 million was directed to benefit students through scholarships, graduate assistantships and fellowships, and almost $4.5 million was directed to faculty assistance. University research programs received $6.8 million.
A vast majority of donors direct how their gifts are to aid the university, Fairfield said. The gifts include endowed funds, which provide annual income to benefit the university, as well as expendable funds available immediately to the university.
The foundation shared examples of how private support helps the university. They included:
- Students at UNK, such as senior Criss Salinas Jr. of Schuyler, receive tuition assistance from the Dream Scholar Program. The program was established with an anonymous gift to provide scholarships to Nebraskans who are the first in their immediate family to attend college. “The Dream Scholarship has given me opportunities I could have never imagined,” Salinas said.
- Professor Maher K. Tadros is the first recipient of the Leslie D. Martin Professor of Civil Engineering at UNL, which is a named endowment in honor of alumnus Les Martin that provides resources to the Department of Civil Engineering. Tadros is a mastermind behind new bridge technologies now used for bridge construction in the United States and places around the world. “I am very grateful to [Les Martin’s] family and friends for making this award possible,” Tadros said.
- Family practice physician Angela Brennan, M.D., of St. Paul and others have the Mellam Family Scholars Program to thank for providing needed scholarship support while studying at UNMC. The scholarship, funded by the Mellam Family Foundation, honors the legacy of Leo and Laural Mellam by assisting students interested in rural family medicine. “I knew since high school I wanted to pursue a career in family medicine,” Dr. Brennan said.
- Teachers and students at UNO benefit from the James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics and the Schumacher Scholarships within the Service Learning Academy. Schumacher of Omaha provided the funding to recognize outstanding faculty and students committed to increasing knowledge, awareness and application of the principles of ethics, tolerance and understanding.