Iowa State’s fund-raising efforts have once again reached new heights, breaking the $100 million barrier for the second consecutive year and involving almost 50,000 donors.

The ISU Foundation announced its second $100 million year at a press conference at the Reiman Gardens July 17.

Private gifts for the 12-month period ending June 30 totaled just more than $103 million.

Last year’s record-breaking effort, helped by a $34 million gift to the College of Agriculture, reached just more than $100 million. John Dasher, chairman of the ISU Foundation board of directors, said he hadn’t expected commitments to total $100 million for a second year.

“[Last year] I said to [ISU Foundation President] Tom Mitchell, ‘It would be nice to do it again,'” Dasher said. “He gave me a look that said, ‘Perhaps in your dreams.'”

ISU President Martin Jischke gave the ISU Foundation, college deans and students credit for the record year.

“This success really reflects a team effort,” he said.

Of the $100 million raised, 21 donors gave gifts larger than $1 million, according to the ISU Foundation.

Jischke said he considered the fact that donations came from almost 50,000 donors a success as great as the $100 million benchmark.

“There seems to be no limit to the generosity of Iowa State’s alumni and supporters,” Jischke said.

The mission of the ISU Foundation is to secure and manage gifts on behalf of ISU and to become the best land-grant university foundation in the nation.

“Iowa State has accepted a big challenge. That challenge is to become the best land-grant university in the nation,” Jischke said. “This is not only an achievable goal, it is in our grasp.”

Jischke said he is very optimistic about the future of the university and its fund-raising efforts.

“The ultimate impact of a great university is on people,” Jischke said. “There will be people who will have great success, and they will remember Iowa State.”