Ramapo Magazine

The Ramapo College Foundation, the Ramapo Alumni Association, and Friends of Ramapo College continued to make a difference through scholarship awards, grants, special events, fund-raising, and partnerships with area corporations and the community.

Successfully completing the first comprehensive capital campaign in the College's history; being named a winner of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's (CASE) 2000 Circle of Excellence in Educational Fund-Raising Award; and publishing the first issue of Ramapo Magazine were highlights of the year for the Ramapo College Foundation.

With over $21.7 million received in gifts and pledges, the Ramapo College Foundation Capital Campaign owes thanks to the hundreds of alumni, corporations, foundations, faculty, staff, and friends of the College who made this milestone possible. The centerpiece of the Capital Campaign was the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts. The Kresge and Pascal art galleries, Sharp Electronics Theater, and the Myron and Elaine Adler Theater have allowed the College to dramatically expand its offerings in dance, film, jazz, theater, and gallery exhibitions.

The campaign attracted significant gifts from many generous donors, among them Angelica and Russ Berrie who committed a lead gift of $1 million and continue to support special projects at the center. With Congresswoman Marge Roukema's advocacy, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded a $500,000 grant toward the project's cost. The prestigious Kresge Foundation's $475,000 Challenge Grant played a major role in garnering new donors to the campaign and to Ramapo.

Other major named-gifts included the BD (Becton Dickinson) Lobby, the Bergen Record Photography Suite, the Butler International Drawing Studio, the Dial America Student Lounge, Fleet Bank Computer Imaging Lab, Howmedica Osteonics Visual Arts Classroom, Ingersoll-Rand Rehearsal Hall, Jaguar Cars Music Rehearsal Studio, Mann Family Foundation Scenery Shop, Meldisco Arts Classroom, Minolta Corporation Film Processing Room, SANYO Semiconductor Shooting Studio, Sony Electronics Music Studio, UPS Darkroom, Volvo Music Classroom, and Wood Cafe.

The last element of the campaign was to raise $2.5 million to boost the College's endowment -- a permanent resource of funds for scholarships, faculty development, and programs on campus. In launching its first capital campaign, Ramapo College accepted a challenge to expand its vision and fulfill its mission -- to develop students into educated citizens who are fully able to think globally and act locally in the world in which they live.

Highlights

Completed and surpassed the $20 million total capital campaign goal by securing $21,722,421 in gifts, pledges, and revenue from all sources, nine percent over goal.
Capital projects — including the Berrie Center, the International Telecommunications Center, the Gatehouse, and miscellaneous projects — met and exceeded the $14.5 million goal by five percent with a total of $15,252,913 raised.
The Endowment Fund achieved 101 percent of its goal with $2,531,391 raised.
The Annual Fund exceeded its $3 million goal by 31 percent with a total of $3,938,117 reached.
Total assets of the Foundation have grown to $9,153,564 as of June 30, 2000, a 5 percent increase over last year. An additional $1.1 million was given to the College as partial payment for the Berrie Center.
The Foundation's total endowment has increased by 38 percent since last year and $1,035,500 was received in new named endowments in fiscal year 2000.
More than $250,000 in named student scholarships, faculty awards, and program support was made available, a 73 percent increase over the previous year.
Alumni giving was stronger than ever. During thirty-six nights of phonathon sessions, pledges were received from 1,076 alumni. Alumni making pledges for the first time rose by 55 percent.
Alumni events during the year included the New Alumni Summer Reunion, Fall Fest, Community Service Projects, and athletic reunions.
The New Alumni Committee, which is made up of Ramapo graduates from the past five years, sponsored a beautification project in Mahwah, served food at the Suffern Soup Kitchen, and worked at the Center for Food Action in Mahwah.
The Friends of Ramapo increased its membership to 230 members and increased membership revenue by 40 percent.