Despite uptick, UVa fundraising still hurting

This year is better than last year, but last year was a bad year for fundraising, the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors heard Friday.
“The real fact of the matter is that we didn’t put into the university community $39 million that we had put into it the year before,” said Robert Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs.
In the last fiscal year, which ended June 30, the university raised $248 million, down 13.4 percent from the year before. It was the second straight year of decline, though the figure was still better than fiscal year 2006’s.
The Campaign for the University of Virginia ended the fiscal year at $1.971 billion, which includes more than $200 million in projected future support. The campaign, which counts all gifts to the university made since Sept. 29, 2006, aims to raise $3 billion by the end of 2011.
“Regardless of the economy, we still remain committed to the original timeline,” Sweeney said.

But there was some good news: Philanthropic cash flow is slightly up so far this fiscal year, which started July 1, as compared with the same period last summer, Sweeney said. In fact, the university has been beating historical averages since June.
But the progress is relatively modest, Sweeney said.
“That is not great news in terms of knocking the cover off the ball,” he said.
He later summed up the university’s philanthropic progress:
“We are pretty much holding our own and, in some cases, more than holding our own, in the economy,” he said. “[It’s] not a lot to brag about, except that we are indefatigable.”
The board’s discussion of future fundraising strategies was closed to the public.
But later in the day, board member Susan Y. Dorsey said that at least some of the discussion involved the importance of using volunteers to raise money on the univer-sity’s behalf.

Honoring Mark Fletcher

The board also voted to name the gymnasium in the Aquatics and Fitness Center in honor of Mark E. Fletcher.
Fletcher, who worked in the athletics department and ran the intramural and recreational sports program, died unexpectedly in June at age 57.
He was also an avid participant in noontime basketball for many years and oversaw the $86 million expansion of Scott Stadium, which was finished in 2001.
“This is so bittersweet,” Sweeney said.