Charitable contributions to Missouri University of Science and Technology increased by 36 percent during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2014, and the alumni giving rate also increased over the previous year.

Missouri S&T received $13.8 million in gifts and pledges during the 2013-2014 fiscal year. The contributions from alumni and friends, corporations, foundations and other sources provide funding for student scholarships, labs and classrooms, faculty support, academic and extracurricular programs, athletics, public radio KMST, and other funding priorities.

Among the fundraising initiatives for the past fiscal year was a campaign to replace the grass athletic and intramural fields with artificial turf. That fundraising project involved a pledge of $150,000 from four Tulsa-area alumni and their spouses, which was matched by $154,000 in gifts from nearly 150 other donors.

The “Tulsa Turf Team” donors who established the $150,000 challenge grant are Keith Bailey, a 1964 mechanical engineering graduate, and his wife, Pat Bailey; Kristie and John Gibson, both 1974 engineering management graduates; and Steve Malcolm, a 1970 civil engineering graduate, and his wife, Gwen Malcolm. The donors were inspired to give by Missouri S&T students who voted to contribute 75 percent of the project cost through student fees.

Another fundraising priority during the past year involved raising funds for construction of the Hasselmann Alumni House on 11th and Pine streets in downtown Rolla. Scheduled for completion this winter, the building will house Missouri S&T’s alumni and donor relations staff and serve as the hub for Miner Alumni Association activities during Homecoming, the St. Pat’s Celebration and other occasions.

In addition to increases in charitable gifts, Missouri S&T experienced an increase in the percentage of alumni who donated to the university. The alumni participation rate for the 2013-2014 fiscal year increased to nearly 16 percent from nearly 15 percent the previous year.

Also during the past fiscal year, the university surveyed donors about their giving experience and found that among the nearly 2,000 respondents, 88 percent of them said they were highly satisfied or satisfied with their giving experience at Missouri S&T.

“We greatly appreciate the support of our loyal alumni, friends and corporate partners who understand that Missouri S&T is a worthy investment for the future,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader. “Their support of initiatives like the turf project and the Hasselmann Alumni House help to strengthen the student and alumni experience at Missouri S&T, while ongoing contributions to our annual fund and for scholarships and faculty support help ensure that our university’s tradition of academic excellence will endure.”