Elon donors increase their impact in 2017-18

The generosity of Elon donors continues to grow every year, with philanthropic giving to the university reaching new heights across several areas in 2017-18.

With their increased support, donors provided additional student scholarships and helped maintain Elon’s 12-1 student/faculty ratio. Their gifts also helped retain top faculty and support their development, provided additional resources for Elon’s academic schools and departments, and expanded student access to experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad, undergraduate research and service learning.

“Every year, the Elon community comes together to make an impact and continues to raise the bar for giving back to the university,” says Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement. “We’re grateful that Elon donors want to propel the university and be a part of the great things happening here.”

Elon donors achieved the following highlights in 2017-18 (June 1, 2017-May 31, 2018):

• Alumni participation climbed by two percentage points to reach 25 percent, a new record for Elon. Participation is a key factor in Elon’s U.S. News & World Report ranking and is based on the number of alumni who make a gift of any size in a given fiscal year.
   
• Almost 3,100 parents and grandparents made gifts to Elon over the course of the fiscal year. Parents of undergraduate students and alumni reached 33 percent participation, a two-percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
   
• 78 percent of faculty and staff made gifts to Elon in 2017-18, exceeding all previous records. In 2016-17, faculty/staff giving was 76 percent.
   
• Over 2,200 donors made a gift to Elon Athletics this year. This record-breaking number of donors also contributed to a record year of support overall for Elon Athletics.

In total, support for Elon’s endowment, capital projects and annual funds in 2017-18 surpassed $26 million, marking a new record for support raised in a single fiscal year for the university.