Thank you for your philanthrophy
A Message from Dr. Axel Meisen, president and vice-chancellor Memorial University of Newfoundland
Support from our donors is critically important to the future of Memorial University. Our donors provide students with financial support so that they can pursue their studies, achieve academic excellence and engage in community activities. Donors also support the enhancement of academic programs and help to create state-of-the-art classrooms, buildings and other facilities.
In terms of the support we received from donors, I am pleased to report that the number of donors rose to 6,579 in the period of April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 from 5,253 in 2004-05. In particular, giving by alumni grew from $517,436 to $855,137 thereby indicating a growing commitment to our university. Our alumni largely focused their donations on students.
Giving from foundations saw a similar increase from $195,007 in 2004-05 to over $525,901 in 2005-06, primarily for scholarships. A particularly generous example is the gift of $180,000 (over five years) from theWilliam and Nona Heaslip Foundation. Each year, two undergraduate scholarships will be awarded to second-year students in the Faculty of Arts. The students must have demonstrated strong commitment to the university or community affairs. The scholarships are valued at $15,000 annually and are renewable for two more years. Two new recipients will be added to the program each year, thereby benefiting a total of six students.
It is gratifying to see the strong support for our students and academic priorities. Funds for students increased from $1,205,876 in 2004-05 to more than $1,565,000 in 2005-06. The support for faculties and schools grew from $736,248 to $830,337, while donations for research increased from $142,658 to $694,485.
The increase in student support, together with existing support, enabled us to award 1,582 scholarships, bursaries and awards, 100 more than last year. The total awards were $2.31 million compared with $2.15 million in 2004-05.
An exceptional illustration of scholarship support is the $1.3 million gift from the late Dr.Warren and Catherine Ball. Their bequest will be used to create the endowed Warren and Catherine Ball Memorial Entrance Scholarships valued at approximately $7,500 per year for up to four years.
Among the many donors who recognize the critical need to provide student support, the Fry Family foundation continues to be a leader, supporting both scholarships and student leadership at Memorial and in the province more broadly. Luke Pike, a Fry Family foundation scholarship recipient, exemplifies the effectiveness of this support having just been named the Newfoundland and Labrador's Rhodes Scholar for 2007. Luke will go to the University of Oxford in England to enrol in theWeatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine to study medical oncology. Luke plans to eventually go to medical school.
The newly endowed Rod Browne Family Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of deceased members of the Browne family. The scholarship supports students studying French — the scholarship's benefactor studied French after retiring and received his degree in 1990.
Philosophy graduates at Memorial will be the fortunate beneficiaries of a new scholarship established in memory of James Good, a philosophy graduate whose career eventually took him to government and Bay Street. The scholarship's endowment grew quickly to over $80,000 thanks to gifts from family, friends and colleagues, and a generous $60,000 gift from the Eric Baker Family Foundation.
2005-06 was also the year in which some of the initiatives described in my last year's report came to full fruition. One important example is the premiere of The Vinland Traveller, Memorial University's first commissioned opera for children, which took place in Petro Canada Hall on our St. John's Campus. Earning rave reviews, this opera was then performed for children in schools across Labrador and Newfoundland thanks to Air Labrador's generous support for air transportation. Another example is the strong support for improving the university's physical plant. In 2005- 06, we received $5,269,172 and we now have a total of $11,115,992 in outstanding pledges.
As we move further into the 21st century, Memorial will continue to look towards increased private philanthropic support from alumni, business partners and friends. These donations will help us achieve the vision of the university's founders: to make Memorial University the finest university of its size in the world. With your help, we can achieve this goal.
To our generous benefactors I offer my deepest thanks on behalf of the students, faculty and staff.
Sincerely,
Axel Meisen
President and Vice-Chancellor