Fiscal year 2019 was Syracuse University’s largest fundraising year in its history, the university announced Wednesday.

SU raised more than $163 million in the fiscal year, an increase of nearly 9% from the previous fiscal year. The university raised about $150 million in the 2018 fiscal year.

The fundraising includes gifts and pledges, as well as goods and services donated as gifts from individuals and organizations.

SU will use the fundraising to support financial aid opportunities, Chancellor Kent Syverud said in July 2018. This includes a scholarship program for high school valedictorians and salutatorians.

SU also created a $3,300 tuition premium for freshmen who enrolled in fall 2018, raising the total tuition estimate to $50,230. About 75% of SU students received some form of financial aid, totaling more than $390 million, according to SU’s website.

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More than half of this fiscal year’s fundraising came from alumni. The university attracted more than 60,000 new donors, a 16% increase from the previous fiscal year. There was also a 50% increase in gifts of over $500,000 during the 2019 fiscal year and a 3.5% increase in gifts of more than $1 million.

SU is more than two years into its Invest Syracuse initiative, a plan to raise $100 million to improve university academics, student life and financial aid opportunities. As part of the initiative, the university sought $40 million in fundraising to support scholarships. The university has already raised $54 million.

Several initiatives from Invest Syracuse have already been implemented, like the Euclid Avenue shuttle and the Graham Fitness Center on Mount Olympus.

SU initiated several annual donation campaigns, including the 2018 Boost the ‘Cuse initiative, a one-day fundraising event where the university collected $1.76 million, according to the release.

The university is about to launch its largest campaign since the school’s inception. SU said in the release it will have a “historic announcement” related to fundraising in early November.

Published on October 30, 2019 at 9:42 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326