Fiscal year 2007 was a record-breaking year for the UVM Fund. Gifts to the university exceeded $9.5 million for the first time ever — soaring past the $6.6 million goal that was originally set for the year and exceeding by over $2 million the previous record of $7.3 million raised. The number of alumni, parents and friends contributing to the UVM Fund also increased to 24,860 — the best number in university history — giving UVM the sought-after distinction of having the highest donor participation rate among public universities in New England.

“The UVM Fund really turned a corner in 2000 and 2001, when we began to see significant annual increases,” notes Alan Ryea, director of alumni and parent programs, who oversees annual fund operations. “This upward trend is particularly significant because of what we’ve been through on a national and international level — 9/11, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina. These disasters diverted a lot of private support to relief organizations, but we seem not to have been affected by it — it’s been tremendous. In fact, overall the UVM Fund has contributed over $50 million to the campaign.” The university's six-year comprehensive campaign came to a close on June 30, 2007, having exceeded it's $250 million goal with a total of $278,461,114 raised.

Jim Rosenberg ’64, chair of the UVM Fund Executive Committee, contextualized the numbers this way: “Our success shows that alumni, parents and friends of the university care about UVM and want UVM to be successful and flourish. Generosity from donors is a way to show appreciation of what we’ve done in the past, what we’re doing now and what’s to come for the future.”

Annual fund support is a source of current operating dollars for UVM — money the university takes in and has available to spend that same fiscal year. Of highest priority is student aid, as each year some $42 million of institutional funds is directed toward scholarships. The unrestricted portion of the annual fund, which topped $2.4 million in 2007, is of critical importance because it is money that may be directed to fund the institution's highest priorities.

Several factors have been instrumental in the recent success of the UVM Fund. “The phonathon program has dramatically increased the number of people with whom we can connect,” says Ryea. “Our parents are also giving at much higher rates. We raised $2.3 million from parents this year — the first time we’ve ever gone over $2 million with the parents program. We also have more than 400 volunteers who make fund-raising calls on behalf of UVM. These folks play such a key role.”