Private Donations to UC Irvine Hit Record High of $20.1 Million

Private donors gave UC Irvine a record-setting $20.1 million this year, university spokesman John R. Miltner announced Monday.

The donations topped last year’s $18.7 million and set “an all-time high,” said Miltner, vice chancellor for university advancement.

“The success of last year’s fund-raising campaign was a hard act to follow, but we discovered that this year, corporations, individuals and foundations were more responsive to the needs of the campus than ever,” Miltner said.

Miltner said much of the $20.1 million raised during the 1985-86 school year was earmarked by the donors for specific purposes. About 58% of the donors, he said, specified that the money go for research. About 37% of the research money was to go to research projects by faculty, and another 21% to “departmental support,” which Miltner said basically translates into research projects.

“Since we are a major institution for research, this is an important area for donations to support,” Miltner said.

About 15% of this year’s donations were given without specifications. Miltner said the other earmarked donations were 12% for instruction, 6% for campus improvement, 3% for student support and 6% for miscellaneous purposes.

Miltner said that among the encouraging trends is the increase in endowed chairs for distinguished professors. Three such endowments were given to UC Irvine in 1985-86, he said. “Five years ago, there were no endowed chairs at UCI,” he said. There are now five.

“People are interested in us, and they see this campus as an investment. We really are Orange County,” he said.