California State University, Dominguez Hills posted the fifth straight year of steady fundraising growth, with $4.12 million raised for the university through corporate, foundation and individual giving and pledges in fiscal year 2011-12.

The year (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012) saw a nearly 25 percent increase in overall donations from the previous year, and a 60 percent increase in alumni giving. In fact, it was the fifth year in a row the university’s fundraising efforts have exceeded the previous year. Since FY 2006-07, the total money raised by the university (not including pledges) has nearly tripled.

Among the largest donations in FY 2011-12 were:

• A $1 million donation from the Annenberg Foundation to establish the Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professorship for Innovation in STEM Educa..., the university’s first endowed faculty position.
• A $250,000 donation from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation to expand summer and first year developmental math programs for freshmen.

Also of note was a record-setting $210,000 raised for the Presidential Scholars program, which provides full scholarships to approximately 20 of the campus’s brightest freshman and transfer students.

“We are honored that so many alumni, companies, foundations and friends of the university have chosen to invest in CSU Dominguez Hills,” said Greg Saks, vice president of university advancement. “With the state decreasing support to higher education, private gifts will make the dream of higher education more attainable for our students.”