The University of Missouri-Rolla is a winner of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) 2005 CASE/Wealth ID Award for Educational Fund Raising. The award is presented for overall improvement in campus fund-raising. UMR was recognized as one of the top five most improved fund-raising programs in the nation across all research doctoral institutions over the past three years.

The award, which will be presented during an awards breakfast Saturday, July 16, at the CASE Annual Assembly in Miami Beach, Fla., is based on judges’ analysis of three years of fund-raising data submitted to CASE for the Aid to Education’s annual Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey.

During the past three years, UMR has made significant increases in fund-raising. In fiscal year 2005, the university’s total private giving topped $19 million, the highest in campus history and more than three times that of 2003. During fiscal year 2004, gifts nearly doubled those of the previous year.

The university has also seen an 80 percent increase in corporate and foundation fund-raising from fiscal year 2003 through 2004 and a four-fold increase in planned giving, which consists of donations from realized bequests and estate pledges.

“Literally thousands of UMR alumni and friends are involved in the life of the institution from alumni sections, advisory councils and academies to booster clubs and donor societies,” says Connie Eggert, vice chancellor of university advancement at UMR. “I believe individuals and organizations are hearing from these ambassadors — as well as from the UMR community — of our great progress in enrollment, research and reputation as a top technological university and are generously investing in UMR’s future.”

With the decrease in state appropriations over the past five years, UMR relies more heavily on other sources of revenue to fund current activities and future initiatives. As of 2004, private giving accounted for approximately 6 percent of the university’s total revenue.