Although the ISU Foundation received less money in gifts than past years, the amount of direct student assistance increased by $1.9 million.

Dan Saftig, president of the Iowa State University Foundation, said he is “confident philanthropy will rebound this year and years ahead.”

While the total dollar amount given decreased, the total number of gifts given increased by seven percent, he said. The number of dollars pledged by each donor over time has decreased.

The decrease in the amount of money may not be felt by students, faculty and staff for several years — where the effects are seen depends on where donors are directing their money, Saftig said.

According to a financial document released by the ISU Foundation, more than 3,200 students received $9.9 million in scholarships, fellowships, awards and loans from the foundation in the past fiscal year. This amount increased $1.9 million from the previous year.

The total amount of gift money the ISU Foundation received last semester, however, was down from $66 million to $54.7 million.

A combination of a struggling economy, life post-Sept. 11 and the lack of a large capital campaign, such as the one used at the University of Iowa, have helped cause the decrease in total money given, he said.

Saftig said the current struggle between the administration and students concerning tailgating has not affected donations.

Benefactors are interested in supporting the university, regardless of the situation, Saftig said. A common assumption is the ISU Foundation receives more money when an athletic team is doing well, but people donate regardless of athletic success and other issues, he said.

The Investing in People initiative is part of the reason the foundation was able to increase money given to students, he said. The initiative was launched by President Gregory Geoffroy in 2001, said Jason Menke, ISU Foundation assistant communications director. The focus of the initiative is to bolster support for student scholarships and faculty endowments.

Rises in tuition and decreases in state funding to the university have made private funding even more important for students, Menke said.

Saftig said 98 percent of money donated last year was directed to a specific area within the university. Donors are given a choice in where their dollars are used, which can be in 3,200 different areas, he said.

“[What’s] gratifying is to see the numbers of gifts to the university is up,” Saftig said. “This bodes well for the future.”