Delta College has placed eighth in its private fundraising efforts among all community colleges participating in a national survey. It also placed first among those community colleges in Michigan that participated.
Charitable contributions to colleges and universities in the United States increased only 1.7 percent in 2016, reaching a total of $41 billion, according to the Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) survey, conducted annually by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE). This total is the highest recorded since the inception of the survey in 1957.
Delta College raised $3,926,465 from the private sector in 2016. Included in the total was a portion of a large contribution in support of a new diesel technician program, supported by a significant $725,000 grant from the Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation in Saginaw.
“Students in this region have benefited from the generosity of the Wickes Foundation for many years, and this gift for the Diesel Technician Program continues that strong tradition,” said Dr. Jean Goodnow, Delta College President. “Our sincere appreciation goes to the Wickes Foundation for making this program possible in this area.”
“Donors in the Great Lakes Bay Region see the need for higher education for our area’s residents,” said Pam Clark, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. “It’s why we’ve enjoyed strong support through scholarship contributions and donations to our programs.” Clark went on to indicate that a large portion of the dollars received also support Delta College’s public broadcasting stations, WDCQ-TV and WUCX-FM.
“Individuals, foundations and businesses give to provide a margin of excellent and the best possible education for our students,” said Dr. Jean Goodnow, Delta College President. “This is great news and a reflection of the community’s belief in what Delta can achieve for students.”
For more information on Delta College’s fundraising efforts, visit www.delta.edu/foundation or contact Pam Clark, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, at 989-686-9225.