WESTWOOD—For the third year in a row, UCLA has broken its fundraising record, setting the new high mark at a remarkable $643 million in gifts and pledges.
This is almost a hundred million more than the $557 million the university raised during the 2013-2014 fiscal year.
The single largest donation for the 2014-15 fiscal year was $100 million from longtime supporter Marion Anderson. Sixty million dollars of the donation will be used to establish an endowment fund in support of student financial aid, faculty research and fellowships. The remaining $40 million was allocated toward funding for a new building on campus.
Another notable donation came from Jim and Carol Collins, who pledged $10 million toward construction of the Wasserman Football Center. The cast, crew and co-creator of the popular sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” also donated $4 million toward scholarships for students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“Our collective vision for UCLA’s next century continues to inspire philanthropic leaders from California and around the world to support us with gifts of all sizes,” said Vice Chancellor of External Affairs Rhea Turteltaub in a press release. “I salute the many volunteers, faculty, and staff who helped execute the strategies for our remarkable success.”
Nearly $473 million of the donations were made in cash and 95 percent of gifts were for amounts less than $10,000.
In May 2014, the university launched the Centennial Campaign for UCLA, the largest fundraising campaign in the school’s history with a goal of raising $4.2 billion by 2019.
“The Centennial Campaign for UCLA will help prepare us for our second century, creating new knowledge and embracing opportunities to transform lives and create a brighter future for all of us,” said Chancellor Gene Block at the time of its launch.
The funding will be used for undergraduate scholarships, graduate student fellowships, increasing the number of endowed professorships and faculty research.
