Donations to named scholarships are no exception to an overall decline in giving in the tough economy. But this does not necessarily mean Penn will fall short in meeting financial need.
Despite the economic turmoil, Penn’s endowment — valued at $5.6 billion as of Sept. 30 — has remained stable. Still, administrators say they are aware of the challenging road ahead.
Getting a donor’s name on a Penn building isn’t any easier now than it was a few years ago, contrary to recent reports.
The School of Nursing’s fundraising campaign is on its way to reaching its conclusion and its $75 million target. The campaign has already raised $69 million for projects in the school.
Since President Barack Obama’s stimulus package was passed, the University has received more than $163 million in research funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Penn’s alumni fundraising has not been significantly hurt by the economy, according to administrators.
Despite the economic recession, Penn, as well as most Ivy League and peer institutions, have committed to retaining the quality of students’ experience in the face of budget cuts.
Given the economic downturn, scaling back on travel has become an effective method of cost containment for the University, according to Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli.
The endowment is expected to report a loss of 15.7 percent for fiscal year 2009, but Penn President Amy Gutmann expressed relief at this number - "the lowest of any drop among peer institutions."
Penn has retained its original ratings of AA+ from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Aa2 from Moody’s Investor Service that it earned last year.