WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University raised a whopping $351.9 million from donors last year, an all-time-high for the institution.
A record 85,465 individuals — including 16,000 first-time givers — donated to the university in the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to Purdue. Gifts from corporations and foundations also contributed to the total amount raised.
For comparison, the Purdue system received about $386 million in state appropriations for 2017-18, according to Indiana State Budget Agency documents. That's just $34 million more than donors gave to the university last year.
"We are so grateful for the state appropriation, but it's also so critically important that we have the resources to do the things we want to here, to think big," said Amy Noah, Purdue's vice president for development.
The additional funding from private donors allows the university to attract top talent, offer students more financial support and provide state-of-the-art facilities, she said.
About $75 million, or 20 percent of the total raised, is designated for student support. The rest will go toward faculty support, programs, facilities or unrestricted funds, according to Noah.