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The generosity of �������ý��Ƶ supporters shone bright in the 2018-19 fiscal year that concluded at the end of June.

Monies raised for the��, a key funding mechanism to support students, the work of faculty and the upkeep of the campus infrastructure, surpassed $3.9 million, the second highest one-year total in the school’s history.

But that is just one slice of the good news the school is reporting. The overall giving across all funds topped $24.4 million, the fourth highest ever.

The ongoing generosity of donors speaks to the deep relationship �������ý��Ƶ alumni and other supporters have with the school, the desire to enhance the �������ý��Ƶ experience for today’s students and the pledge to pay it forward for future Lawrentians, said Cal Husmann, vice president for alumni and development.

“The impact of philanthropic investment in the college is profound and enhances all aspects of the student experience,” he said.��

The �������ý��Ƶ Fund plays a significant role in the campus’s operation, supporting everything from scholarships, study abroad opportunities and research to infrastructure maintenance, Conservatory performances and athletics. It affects every student and every member of the faculty and staff in some measure.��

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The alumni donor participation rates in the �������ý��Ƶ Fund have an impact on national rankings and future funding opportunities. It’s estimated that without the �������ý��Ƶ Fund, each student’s tuition would increase by more than $10,000 per year.

“Gifts to the �������ý��Ƶ Fund keep the entire academic and co-curricular offerings robust,”��Husmann��said.��“Donors have invested in the curriculum,��allowing us to add new professorships, enhance classrooms, and fund student-faculty collaborations.”

The $3.9 million raised in the �������ý��Ƶ Fund is second only to the $3.91 million raised in the fiscal year ending in June 2016.

Meanwhile, the overarching $220 million��, which launched quietly in January 2014 and had its public launch in November 2018, has reached $182.3 million in gifts and pledges. The ongoing campaign, the largest in �������ý��Ƶ’s history, includes the �������ý��Ƶ Fund as one of its four cornerstones. It also includes the����initiative to make �������ý��Ƶ accessible and affordable to all academically qualifying students, the��, which has welcomed numerous endowed positions aimed at supporting cutting edge programs and course offerings, and��, targeting facility and infrastructure upgrade projects on campus.��

The recent����is the latest in a string of endowed positions, supported by �������ý��Ƶ alumni, that have boosted and diversified the school’s academic offerings.

, a newly endowed position that aims to better prepare students for life after �������ý��Ƶ by, in part, enhancing connections with alumni in the students’ fields of interest.

The Full Speed to Full Need fund has made progress toward its goal of reaching $85 million, Husmann said. When that number is finally reached, it will mark a major milestone for the university in its ongoing commitment to make sure the doors are open to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.

The fund has already delivered direct financial aid assistance to 250 students, and another 100 incoming students are expected to benefit in the 2019-20 academic year.

“The �������ý��Ƶ community has rallied around the Full Speed to Full Need fundraising initiative in an increasingly strong fashion,” Husmann said. “With more than $82 million raised, we can provide more financial resources for our students than ever before, which is driving LU student debt down — against a national trend of increasing student debt.”

That sort of engagement is seen from �������ý��Ƶ alumni all year round, Husmann said, and not just in the form of financial gifts or pledges. �������ý��Ƶ alumni give back to �������ý��Ƶ in other ways, too, he said.

“Hundreds of alumni serve as resources for the Center for Career, Life, and Community Engagement, volunteer with Innovation and Entrepreneurship, volunteer with admissions, and serve on boards and advisory groups. This reflects the enthusiasm �������ý��Ƶ alumni have for their alma mater.

“We in the �������ý��Ƶ community are so grateful for this impressive support.”