Florida A&M University received $5.8M in gifts in
2014-2015 and $6.5M in 2015-2016. At least $9.5M of that was raised by
the School of Business and Industry (SBI), the National Alumni Association
(NAA), the Department of Athletics, FAMU tag sales, and the Faculty and Staff
Campaign.
School of Business and Industry
SBI, led by Dean Shawnta Friday-Stroud, was by far the biggest single source of fundraising leadership for FAMU in FYEs 2015 and 2016.
Universities are required by federal law to include pledges
as part of their end-year fundraising total along with actual cash received. SBI alumnus John Thompson and his wife Sandra Thompson pledged $5M to FAMU in Fall 2014, so that counted toward the
$5.8M fundraising total in 2014-2015. But the Thompsons are transferring the
money to FAMU in installments of $1 million over five years.
FAMU counted last year’s $1M from Thompsons toward its
2015-2016 total.
Back in December 2015, Hershey Company Chairman Jim Nevels signed a commitment for his corporation to donate $1M to establish the Sybil C. Mobley Hershey Endowed Chair.
That brought the SBI fundraising total to $7M for FYEs 2015 and 2016.
Just before the end of FYE 2016, an article reported that then-FAMU Vice-President
for Advancement George Cotton “says the National Alumni Association raised
almost $1 million.”
Fundraising has been a top priority for the current NAA
president, Lt. Col. Gregory Clark.
Department of Athletics
Athletic Director Milton Overton’s Investing in Champions
campaign raised $340,000 in 2015-2016.
Rattler Tag Sales
FAMU specialty license plate sales in Florida are part of
the annual giving total for the school. The FAMU Foundation reported that tag
sales brought in $431,615 in 2014-2015 and another $429,256 in 2015-2016.
Faculty and Staff Campaign
The annual FAMU Faculty and Staff Campaign brought in over $194,000 in
2014-2015 and another $209,000 in 2015-2016.