Fundraising reaches $590M in fiscal year ’05

Fundraising receipts for the University totaled $590 million in fiscal year 2005, a $50 million increase over fiscal year 2004, Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development Donella M. Rapier announced today (Sept. 22).

“We are extremely grateful to all of the generous alumni and friends who made gifts to Harvard last year,” said Rapier. “The more than 82,000 donors who contributed to Harvard have signaled that excellence matters, and they help make it possible for the University to create new knowledge and educate the next generation of leaders.”

Fiscal year 2005 fundraising results were the second best in Harvard’s history, ranking behind fiscal year 2001, when the University received $658 million. In that extraordinary year, Harvard received a one-time gift from the Ford Foundation of $50 million, as well as four other gift payments of $25 million or more. 

Among the many generous new commitments made to Harvard in fiscal year 2005 were a $25 million donation from Hansjoerg Wyss to support doctoral programs at Harvard Business School; a $15 million gift from Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani to the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Business and Government; a $10 million contribution from David M. Rubenstein to establish a fund for excellence at the Kennedy School; and a $10 million gift from the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation to create graduate fellowships in social entrepreneurship.