A goal without a plan is just a wish.
                       --Antoine de Saint-Exupery


To meet the ambitious goals for success of the UAF mission, the Development office created a Philanthropy Plan, set into motion in 2006, and the progress has been astounding. As a result, over the last two years, overall giving to UAF has risen 45% and – thanks to our amazing donors – we are making progress in reducing student debt.

Many of Development’s successes have been through the Annual Giving program. By raising unrestricted funds, we were able to create the Chancellor’s Annual Giving Student Initiative, enabling UAF to declare, “No privately funded endowment scholarships will be awarded for less than $1,000 in Fall 2008.” This will boost many scholarships -- in some cases, doubling them. In these challenging economic times, this kind of incentive can truly make a difference, attracting and retaining students to UAF – because our donors had the insight to give generously through the Annual Giving program.

Other accomplishments because of the Annual Giving program include creation of the Dean’s Discretionary Funds which empowered deans to expand learning opportunities to students through a variety of ways, including awarding travel funds so students could present papers and research findings at prestigious conferences; upgrading lab equipment or technologies for students. In one case, special recording equipment was purchased for the journalism program to provide better sound quality for radio journalists.

Another transformational change comes through our dedication to a donor-centric model. By partnering with our donors individually, we insure they are deeply and personally invested in our mission and UAF’s success. When the Eurasian Pacific Wildlife Conservation Foundation discovered a UAF researcher was in the Philippines researching Alaskan birds that over-winter in that region, they immediately extended several gifts to support that valuable work, which complemented their own mission. This work will result in special additions to the Museum of the North’s ornithology collections, research data that scientists around the world can use, and expanded conservation efforts for certain bird species with global implications.

Won’t you join us as a partner in upholding the valuable mission of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and making a positive change in the world?