More gifts geared toward Gutmann's goals

Penn alumnus David Silfen recently gave $12 million to foster "intellectual life" at Penn, highlighting continuing alumni and donor support for University President Amy Gutmann's goals.

Silfen, also a Penn trustee, said he intended the donation to bolster the Penn Compact, Gutmann's plan for the University's future, which proposes more global and local engagement, greater interdisciplinary study and improved financial aid.

Of his gift -- which was announced to Penn administrators in January but only made public this month -- $10 million is intended for the Penn Integrates Knowledge program, by which Gutmann plans to endow professorships for scholars who work across several disciplines.

The other $2 million are to be used to create an annual lecture series.

"What we wanted to do was really support one or more of the important ingredients of the Penn Compact," Silfen said. "I like to give to institutions I feel strongly towards, and Penn is right at the top of that list."

Silfen, who graduated from the College in 1966, received a degree in Russian history and went on to work for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., an investment bank.

The $12 million gift is one of four major donations the University has received in recent weeks. Penn Trustee Michael Blutt has given $2 million. Two other donations of $2 million and $3 million, respectively -- from benefactors who asked not to be named -- will also go toward professorships, scholarships and student programming.

With gifts such as these, administrators hope Penn will reach its fundraising goal of $400 million by June, which would be a new University record.

The standing record is the $399 million raised in 2003, though a gift of $100 million by the Annenberg Foundation went a long way toward pushing up the 2003 figure.

Such monolithic gifts are largely responsible for the increasing amount of money the University has received since 2001.

While Penn received more than $285 million in donations in the 2001 fiscal year, in just the first half of the current fiscal year -- which spans from July to June -- it has garnered $235 million, Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations John Zeller said.

Zeller attributed the recent spur of donations to excitement among alumni for the Penn Compact.

William Hamm, president of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, a fundraising organization for universities, said that alumni are more likely to donate when presented with specific plans for their money, such as the Compact.

"Penn is clearly doing something right," he said. "Having a plan is a terribly important piece of the pie."

Hamm also noted the importance of the University leadership in promoting Penn's vision.

"One of the most important responsibilities of the president is to engage donors in the vision and ... bring them to a point where they are interested in helping," Hamm said.

Richard Jolly, president of the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-profits, an organization aimed at improving efficiency in philanthropy, said that there is a trend of increased donations to universities across the country, adding that such institutions received about $248.5 billion in 2004.

"We have seen over and over again that Americans are generous, especially when they are engaged in an institution, have confidence in the leadership and when they think the needs are legitimate and genuine," Jolly said.

The fact that Gutmann is in the beginning of her presidency, Jolly said, may also play a role in successful fundraising.

"New leadership provides a time of excitement and renewed interest," Jolly said. "If the transition has been well managed, it is a good time for most educational institutions."

As the University prepares to kick off its next major capital campaign, Silfen said that Penn shouldn't worry about its image.

"The important thing is not to worry too much about what other people think of the University, but to do the right things for the institution," he said.

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