The fundraising arm of the University of Iowa is celebrating a record year. Susan Shullaw, with the U-I Foundation, says the organization raised an all-time high of more than 96.7 million dollars in outright gifts in fiscal year 2008. Gifts made directly to the University, rather than the UI Foundation, totaled just over 26.2 million dollars.

Shullaw says, when those figures are combined with deferred gifts and pledges for future years, the total for the U-I and U-I Foundation is more than 188 million dollars. That represents an increase of 6.5 percent over fiscal year 2007. Shullaw says the gifts will benefit every college and major program at the U-I, but many of the large donations are directed at areas of health care.

"I think it’s an indication of the name that Iowa is making out there in the health care world as a place for terrific research and treatment," Shullaw said. "We’ve also got some building campaigns going on – people are always excited about that – including some enhancements to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and a new building for our College of Public Health."

In June, flood waters invaded 20 buildings on the U-I campus, causing an estimated 232 million dollars in damage. Shullaw says U-I alumni and friends have donated generously to the foundations’s "flood fund."

She says the gifts are still pouring in, but about 400-thousand dollars was received in fiscal year 2008 for flood relief. Overall, more than 64,000 donors directed 104,389 gifts to the U-I Foundation between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. Of those donors, 1,800 were first time contributors.

"I have a suspicion that a number of those may have been individuals who gave to the flood relief fund," Shullaw said. "We’re pleased that a vast majority of the givers were repeat givers, so we suspect those are our good alumni and Hawkeye fans from all over the country."

The Iowa State University Foundation released its 2008 fiscal year fundraising totals in August. The ISU Foundation also set a record, collecting 135 million dollars in new gifts and future commitments. Officials with the University of Northern Iowa Foundation plan to release their audited figures for 2008 in October.