B-Note July 18, 2019
July 18, 2019
Greetings fellow Tigers!
Year after year, I am amazed by the Clemson family and your resilient commitment and support for our University. Join me in celebrating another record-breaking year for philanthropy at Clemson!
Thanks to 35,254 donors, Clemson raised more than $176 million! This total is made up of $106.35 million cash, gift-in-kind and pledges, $28 million in planned gifts and $42.3 million in IPTAY annual gifts.
It is because of each and every one of you – our donors, volunteers, alumni, friends and partners – that we reached the largest annual fundraising total in Clemson’s history. The results top-off another extraordinary year at Clemson! We surpassed our fundraising goals. We were named among the top-25 national public universities for the 11th consecutive year. Capital projects are molding before our eyes every day on campus. And we celebrated another National Championship for our Clemson Football team!
Your hard work and devotion to this university are making a real impact on Clemson students, helping us to be a top university – on and off the field.
I am excited to celebrate Clemson’s many accomplishments with you, and I am continuously amazed by your dedication and determination to support our University and move us forward. Your contributions make a difference! The proof is in the numbers:
-105 new scholarships and fellowships created.
-67 new endowments created.
-52,758 total number of gifts.
-22.25% alumni participation.
-$2.25 million in unrestricted gifts.
-25 one-time gifts exceeding $1 million.
In 2019, we celebrated our two newest Academic Cornerstone Partners – visionary individuals who committed transformational funding of $2.5 million or more to help set the course for Clemson’s future success as one of the nation’s top-ranked public universities.
Cornerstone gifts celebrated this year included:
-$2.5 million to the College of Business from Ben and Cheri Phyfer, our youngest Cornerstone Partners.
-$2.5 million to the College of Business from Dan and Nancy Garrison, our first Cornerstone Partners for both Academics and Athletics.
You can read more details about this year’s fundraising results here. Click below to watch a video highlighting the impact of your gifts this year.
Much of our fundraising success can be attributed to our outstanding leadership team at Clemson. From President Clements, to our executive leadership team, to our amazing board members and volunteers, they work dutifully and faithfully to establish – and exceed – lofty goals for Clemson each year. During the next two days, we are welcoming our Board of Trustees back to campus for meetings. I would like to extend to each of them – on behalf of the University – our sincerest gratitude for their hard work and commitment to maintaining Clemson’s spot at the top.
With another record-breaking philanthropic year, the Clemson family has proved that we are nothing short of remarkable. The power of philanthropy has never been stronger among the Clemson family. The support for our students, faculty and staff will continue to create life-changing experiences as we move forward. We are celebrating the success of 2019, but the best is yet to come! Thank you for supporting Clemson and for making a difference in Clemson’s future.
Go Tigers!
Brian O’Rourke