Total giving to the school has increased by 247% due to an investment in personal relations with possible donors, according to the college.

“That the number of donors is up is a deliberate effort of advancement and my office to get out and connect with alums and [potential donors],” said President Margee Ensign.

According to Kirk Swenson, the vice president of college advancement, the “growing sense of excitement about where the college is headed, and the college’s commitment to building our advancement function are the primary reasons for the growth in giving.” 

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, $16.2 million was gifted to the school, which is an increase of 65% from FY 2017 and 247% from FY 2016. Gifts from alumni alone, according to Swenson, totaled $10 million last year, which is a 94% increase from FY 2017. 

“We’re on a great two-year trend,” he stated in an email. “We’re hoping to build on that in coming years.”

According to Swenson, the central areas of growth for giving was to the endowment, facilities, scholarships and other supplementary areas of Dickinson education. In contrast, donations to the Dickinson Fund, which provides money for the college’s operating budget, has been “relatively flat.” 

However, some donors do not specify a use for their donation, which is classified as for “unrestricted or budget relieving purposes.” This type of donation can then be put towards the operating budget. Gifts to the endowment can also affect the operating budget, Swenson said.

Donations last year “contributed $10 million to Dickinson’s endowment,” Swenson said. “The college invests our endowment and withdraws a percentage of that growth each year without touching the principal” to make sure endowed funds continue to financially support the college “in perpetuity,” he said.

Swenson believes there has been an increase in donations due to “the A+ advancement staff, who manage relationships with our donors… and partners.”