Despite a weak economy, donors were generous to UC Davis again in fiscal year 2002-03, giving the campus $71.7 million. Their gifts supported campus priorities including fellowships, scholarships, endowed faculty positions, capital projects, research, student life and educational programs, and the health sciences.

"We are especially grateful to our donors for their generosity," said Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef.

"They have been there for us in the tough times, so to speak. That demonstration of loyalty is worth as much to us as their financial donations, because it assures us of their commitment, together with ours, to our ongoing and future excellence."

More than 50,000 donors made gifts in 2002-03, 11 of which amounted to $1 million or more each. Donors included alumni, parents, businesses, private foundations and other friends of the university.

A $5 million commitment from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation was the largest single gift. This contribution helped support from corporations and businesses account for the lion's share of the year's gift total -- $27.3 million, or 38 percent. Individuals, including alumni, provided $22.4 million, or 30 percent, of the total, while private foundations gave $9.5 million, or 13 percent. Gifts from alumni alone totaled $3.2 million.

Research received the largest portion of philanthropic support for the year, $27.3 million.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences led the campus in gift income, garnering $22.4 million. Departments and programs of the Health System were second, with $17.2 million in combined gifts.

Donors also gave $19.1 million to academic and agricultural departments and another $13.2 million to improve campus facilities. They added $27 million in gifts and pledges to the permanent endowment -- including nearly 260 commitments to support new endowments and increase existing endowments for faculty positions.

Several units saw their gift levels climb, even though the overall campus gift total declined from that of 2001-02.

The health sciences, for instance, received nearly $5 million, or 41 percent, more in gifts than in the previous year. The College of Letters and Science increased its gift total 27 percent, raising $546,500 more than a year ago, while the School of Law saw its private support increase by more than $200,000, or 29 percent.

During its first season in a new hall, Mondavi Center Presents, the campus arts presenting program, received more than $1 million in gifts -- a 67 percent increase over 2001-02. The School of Education raised $107,500 in its first year of fund-raising as a formally constituted school.

"I am especially grateful to our alumni and friends, who generously demonstrated their confidence in the school this first time around," said Harold Levine, dean of education. "We are a young program as far as fund raising is concerned, even though this campus has been training teachers for more than 85 years. The support we received this year and the enthusiasm of our alumni and the wider education community signal a great future for the school."

The gift from Anheuser-Busch Foundation will create a brewing and food science laboratory that will be "a cornerstone in the development of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science" and take teaching and research programs in the food sciences "to the next level of excellence," according to Neal Van Alfen, Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Other million-dollar contributions from corporations, foundations or organizations in 2002-03 came from the Center for Agricultural Partnerships, which gave the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences $2.5 million for facilities enhancement; the Dyson Foundation, which donated $1.8 million to research in the health sciences; the California Endowment, which provided $1.4 million for the health sciences; the California Healthcare Foundation, which gave $1.1 million to several health science research projects; the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, which gave $1 million for research in the College of Engineering; and the Rumsey Indian Rancheria's Community Fund, which gave $1 million for diabetes research and community health outreach.

Million-dollar-plus commitments from individuals included a $3.3 million charitable trust from Corinne Rustici for research and teaching in human nutrition; a $2.5 million contribution from Professor Emeritus Warren Giedt and his wife, Leta, for an engineering classroom facility; and a $1 million commitment from veterinarian Jerome Barnier and his wife, Joyce, to the School of Veterinary Medicine.

The $71.7 million the campus received in 2002-03 is consistent with recent levels of philanthropic support. Donors have given at least $70 million to the campus each of the last four fiscal years. The all-time gift record of $110 million was set last year, aided by two exceptionally large gifts of $35 million and $12 million, respectively.