Jerry A. May This has been a most gratifying year. In spite of the turmoil in the economic sector, we have good news to report about the generosity of donors to the University of Michigan. More than 111,000 donors made gifts of cash and pledge payments totaling $254,086,812—only 3.6 percent fewer donors and 4.4 percent fewer dollars than last year. These are impressive figures.

Gifts from living individuals continue to be strong, up by approximately $5 million for a total of $154 million. Corporate giving is down by only 1 percent to $16.8 million this year.

Even as state support continued to decline, necessitating a rise in tuition, the university remained committed to providing increased financial aid to students to help them earn a Michigan degree. U–M maintains its aggressive approach to meeting the full, demonstrated financial need of all in–state undergraduates. In the past year, 70 percent of in–state undergraduates and 50 percent of out–of–state undergraduates received financial aid including scholarships, grants, loans, and work–study. Our Ann Arbor campus undergraduate students have been graduating with average debt of about $26,800. Our graduate students have been graduating with debt of about $42,000 for in–state students and $49,000 for out–of–state students. The goal is to have our students leave with fewer loans.

Our donors have responded to the need for increased financial aid, making gifts for undergraduate and graduate student support totaling more than $56 million. This current support has been augmented by the $60 million generated this fiscal year by the donor–supported endowed funds for scholarship and fellowship support. Zelda M. Bartus (BA ’39, CERT EDDUC ’39) left a $6.3 million bequest for need–based scholarship support for students in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering to honor her husband, Julius (BSE CE ’36). Both received scholarships when they were students at the U–M, where they met. Penny & Roe Stamps Penny (BSDES ’66) and Roe Stamps made a gift of $3 million to renew their Stamps Scholars program, which had already supported 72 students for four years. The new commitment will support an additional 72 students.

Even as donors provided funds to support students, others generously gave to advance areas throughout the university. A number of donors made record gifts. The Ted and Jane Von Voigtlander Foundation made a gift of $15 million, the largest gift ever to the Health System for women’s health, to support construction of the new women’s hospital. Gwen Haggerty The gift was made by Gwen Haggerty, president of the foundation, to honor the memory of her mother, Jane, and her adoptive father, Ted. In their honor, the new hospital was named the Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. It will open in late 2011 as part of the building that will also house the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Law School Groundbreaking Ceremony The Law School broke ground last fall on its new building aided by a record gift from Robert (JD ’54) and Ann (BA ’02) Aikens whose contribution of $10 million is the largest gift ever made to the Law School by a living donor. In recognition of their exceptional generosity, the Law School will name the new commons, located in the current Law Quad, the Robert B. Aikens Commons.

Ed Elliott (DCOB BBA ’67) made a gift of $2 million to U–M Dearborn’s College of Business, the largest gift to that campus from an alum. It endows a professorship in memory of his late wife, Betty (DCOB BBA ’67) and provides discretionary funds for the dean.

Philanthropists, though, are not just those who make the largest gifts. We celebrate our alumni and friends who make gifts of all sizes to support Michigan. A new area on our website www.giving.umich.edu, called "Share Your Story," offers donors a place to tell why they give to the U–M and any other charitable organization. I urge you to go to the site, and I guarantee you will be inspired by the messages you read. They are from caring people who understand the value of helping others. I’ve included a few samples from the many stories posted there.

U–M Eye Center was there when I needed them in 1998. Dr. Elner was wonderful. I am now in remission from Graves Eye Disease, but I saw many others far worse off than I. This gift is for them.

When I graduated high school, the Regents–Alumni scholarship helped my parents in sending me to Michigan. I give what I can because others have helped me.

I have made a donation to the U–M every year since my graduation in 1970. I believe that the U–M is the greatest learning institution on earth, and will always support it.

Charitable giving fills the gaps, solves problems, answers prayers, meets needs that cannot be met in the public sphere.

I support education and health care because I feel strongly that both are critical to the well–being of people in general and society as a whole.

I have never supported U–M before. But, U–M has supported me by giving a future to my nephew, who at 3 just underwent a liver transplant and now has a bright and healthy outlook.

Philanthropy is infectious and contagious and makes me feel good.

These people and more than one hundred thousand others made the Michigan Difference.

Thank You,



Jerry A. May
Vice President for Development