Banner Year Brings $91 Million to SDSU

San Diego State University announced the most successful year of private giving in the 116-year history of the university. SDSU received more than $91 million in gifts and pledges during the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which ended June 30.

Support for The Campaign for SDSU, the university’s first campus-wide fundraising campaign has reached $413.8 million of its $500 million goal.

“We are grateful to our generous alumni and community supporters whose gifts continue to fuel our development as a leading public research university,” said SDSU President Elliot Hirshman.

“This record breaking year is a critical milestone in the development of our culture of philanthropy,” Hirshman continued. “I especially wish to acknowledge the members of the Campanile Foundation Board, our Vice President for University Relations and Development Mary Ruth Carleton, our provost and deans, all of the members of the University Relations and Development staff, and all of our faculty, staff, students and administrators who contributed to this extraordinary year.”

During 2012-2013, SDSU raised nearly $58 million for student scholarships, endowed professorships, and program support. These gifts will enhance the broad institutional goals set forth in “Building on Excellence,” SDSU’s new strategic plan, which builds upon SDSU’s areas of strength and pride: student success, research and creative endeavors and community and communication.

"This unprecedented support from alumni and friends is a resounding vote of confidence in San Diego State University's future," said Carleton. “The Campaign for SDSU helps us to continue attracting high achieving students and faculty and build upon our commitment to excellence.”

Major donations received this fiscal year

This fiscal year, major donations include:

• A significant gift from Dr. Leonard Lavin to name the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center
• A significant gift from Irwin and Peter  Zahn and the Moxie Foundation to expand SDSU’s Zahn Innovation Center and open its lab to students, faculty, staff and eventually the San Diego community
• A gift of $3 million from Charles and Chinyeh Hostler to support international programs in the College of Arts and Letters
• A gift of $1.5 million from the Campanile Foundation board member Terry Atkinson to establish an endowment that will strengthen SDSU’s ambitious research agenda by supporting faculty research
• A $1.5 million endowment from the late Professor Emeritus Donald G Wilson for the College of Engineering.
• A gift of $1 million from the late Professor Emeritus Henry Janssen to the Honors College endowment to transform the existing Honors Program into a college with increased enrollment and programs that benefit the entire university community
• A gift of $2.25 million to the SDSU Library in prized science fiction and 20th-century literature from the collection of alumnus Edward E. Marsh
• A gift of $2.4 million from professors emeriti Carey Wall and Terry O’Donnell to endow a faculty position in the nationally renowned musical theater program
• A gift of $500,000 from Darlene Shiley to support the Masterpiece Trust, making Masterpiece available on KPBS and the Public Broadcasting System.
• A $250,000 donation by Union Bank to multiple programs including SDSU’s Guardian Scholars program, which provides foster youth, as well as those who have been homeless, with a comprehensive, holistic support program to help them achieve the goal of a college degree

The Campaign for SDSU

The Campaign for SDSU was launched in 2007 to create new opportunities for student success and to help SDSU continue to develop as a leading public research university. To date, The Campaign has received more than 43,000 gifts from alumni, friends, faculty, staff, parents and community partners, including 78 gifts of $1 million or more.