Private Donations to UC Irvine Hit Record $38.8 Million

Private support to UC Irvine reached a record $38.8 million in fiscal year 1997-98, a 29% increase over the previous year.

This is the third year in a row of double-digit increases, and private support for the university has nearly doubled over the past five years. Foundations and other nonprofit organizations donated $13.6 million in 1997-98; corporations, $12.3 million; and individuals, $12.9 million.

“UCI supporters are creating the future by supporting the powerful contribution the university makes to the community,” said UCI Foundation Chairman Thomas T. Tierney.

James Asp, associate vice chancellor of university advancement, attributed the increase to a strong local economy and to outreach efforts.

Private donations to the university in the past year reflect a strong interest in the life sciences, officials said. About $21.7 million, or 56% of the total donations, went to the College of Medicine, the Irvine Biomedical Research Center, the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, the School of Biological Sciences and UCI Medical Center.

Many donors are Orange County residents.

“If UCI is to be a major league player, strong private support is essential,” said Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone, noting that UCI receives only about 25% of its budget from the state.

“The growth we’re seeing in private donations to UCI shows that the community is actively involved in the process of building a first-rate research university.”

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Big Givers

UCI’s largest individual donations in 1997-98 included:

Donor: Donald Bren

Gift: $5 million

Use: Endows Bren Fellows, who will lead research in molecular medicine, focusing initially on cancer and human genetics

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Donors: Robert and Margaret Sprague

Gift: $2.1 million

Use: Supports brain imaging research at UCI College of Medicine

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Donor: Rockwell International (in honor of retired Rockwell Chairman Donald R. Beall and wife Joan)

Gift: $1.5 million

Use: Enables School of the Arts to create a high-tech multimedia learning and research center--the first of its kind in the University of California system

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Donors: Mario and Diane Antoci

Gift: $1.1 million

Use: Establishes Antoci Family Center for Children with Kidney Disorders

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Donors: Dr. Albert and Tricia Nichols

Gift: $1 million

Use: Enables recruitment of a top neuroscientist to lead clinical research efforts at the UCI Institute of Brain Aging and Dementia

Source: UCI