Drury University says it fundraising total this year is nearly 25 percent higher than the previous year.
The private, liberal arts school reported Tuesday that it received $9,416,023 in gifts and commitments for the 2016-17 fiscal year. That compares to $7,540,529 the prior year.
“We are grateful for the trust that our alumni and donors have in Drury and for their commitment to the university’s future,” Wayne Chipman, executive vice president for advancement, said in a statement. “Over the past year, we’ve made an effort to increase engagement with alumni on several fronts, including through events in Springfield and around the country that have been well attended. The dollar amounts are wonderful to see, but above all else I am truly pleased to see so many fellow Drury alumni reconnecting with our alma mater.”
Drury says the boost in funding is credited in part to a five-fold rise in planned gifts. In FY 2016, that category amounted to $805,000. This year, it was $4,285,000.
“Drury’s road forward to its preferred horizon has always been a course charted in great part by alumni,” says Drury president Dr. Tim Cloyd. “It is the alumni who continually pave this road for future generations to travel as they seek out their own horizons, and their own preferred futures.”