RSU Foundation Posts Record Fundraising Year

The Rogers State University Foundation has announced a record year in fundraising at the close of the 2001-2002 fiscal year.

The RSU Foundation raised more than $950,000 in contributions – a 22 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

Last year, the RSU Foundation raised a total of $782,934 in private support from individuals, foundations and corporations in the Claremore and Tulsa areas, and across the state and nation.

“We deeply appreciate this unprecedented level of support from alumni and friends of the university,” said RSU President Joe Wiley. “Private contributions allow the university to exceed expectations and achieve excellence in education.”

Private giving to the RSU Foundation is utilized for a wide variety of student scholarships, capital improvements, and the latest in instructional materials and equipment.

Much of the increase can be attributed to the foundation’s dual emphasis on raising funds for endowed chairs and endowed scholarships.

“The endowed faculty chair and student scholarship programs allow the RSU Foundation to build a strong base of support that will allow the university to offer a top-quality education for generations to come,” said Danette Boyle, RSU vice president for development. “The fact that we have been able to increase our support during challenging economic times is a testament to the generosity and dedication of the university’s alumni and friends.”

The goal of the Campaign for Endowed Chairs is to raise $2.5 million in private gifts, which will be matched by the Endowment Trust Fund of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for a total of $5 million. The private contributions and state regents matching funds will establish the principal of the endowments. The principal will remain intact while earnings on the endowments will be utilized to recruit and retain nationally recognized professors.

The Endowed Scholarship program is a major fundraising initiative to increase the number of private endowed scholarships for RSU students. Gifts of $10,000 or more are required to establish a named endowed scholarship. The endowment fund remains intact and managed by the RSU Foundation while the earnings provide scholarships for RSU students. Presently, the university has 63 scholarship endowments and 12 developing endowments.

In addition, the RSU Foundation’s annual Dollars for Scholars program, which raises scholarship funds in the Claremore community, increased its gifts to $51,121 during the 2001-2002 fiscal year. This amount was up from $38,390 in contributions during the previous year.

The Rogers State University Foundation, Inc. was founded in 1973 to raise private funds for the benefit and continuing support of the university. The RSU Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Service. The foundation is governed by a board of directors comprised of alumni and friends of the university.

For more information on the RSU Foundation, call (918) 343-7773.