Donors across the USA helped the North American Foundation for The University of Manchester (NAFUM) break all previous fundraising records in 2021, with an incredible $3,970,000 raised. This compares to the Foundation’s previous record of $1.38m in 2011.
Established in 1998 by a group of US-based University of Manchester alumni, the Foundation has raised over $17.2m since its foundation; attracting thousands of gifts from across the length and breadth of the United States over nearly a quarter of a century. Together, this community of supporters has had a major impact across many important areas, including increasing the amount of support the University offers students from disadvantaged backgrounds, creating new scholarships for North American students to study in Manchester, and funding ground-breaking research in areas as diverse as astrophysics, cancer treatment, international development and stillbirth prevention.
“I can’t thank you enough for your generosity in allowing me to make the most of this year. It’s so heartening to see that alumni in the US are so passionate about the time they spent at Manchester that they would like to pass some of that on to the next generation. I’m hopeful that one day, I will be able to do the same.”
Liliana Solomon, MA Peace and Conflict Studies 2021-22 and NAFUM Grattidge Master’s Scholar
Last year’s success was boosted by some major donations from notable North American alumni, including a number of generous gifts of over $1m. This included an incredible gift from the Moley Family Foundation. Pledged by Dick Moley (BSc Electrical Engineering, 1961) in memory of his late wife and fellow alumna Elizabeth (BA Administration, 1960), the gift will enable the creation of the Elizabeth Moley scholarship in additional to helping to increase wider support for the University’s disadvantaged students.
NAFUM also was grateful to receive a very generous bequest from one of its earliest Directors, the late Linda Colbert (BA Town and Country Planning, 1966). Having already played a critical role in NAFUM’s founding years, Linda made a major contribution to the Foundation’s future by gifting her art collection to the University in her Will. Funds from the sale of the collection will help talented young people overcome the barriers they face to entering higher education.
A further amazing bequest came from noted solar physicist Dr. Alan Maxwell. The former resident of Northcote in New Zealand completed his MSc at Auckland University after WWII, going on to undertake his PhD at the Jodrell Bank Observatory (Manchester University) in the 1950s, supervised by eminent radio astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell. Dr. Maxwell’s gift will help increase the long-term support on offer to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, by providing scholarships and other forms of financial support.
“The support we have received in the past year from alumni in North America has been overwhelming, particularly at such a challenging time for the University’s most disadvantaged students, and when researchers have faced such unprecedented challenges. We have also been particularly touched to have been remembered in the Wills of a number of generous alumni, with gifts to the NAFUM Endowment that will help us significantly increase the support available to UoM’s students – both now and for generations to come. My heartfelt thanks to all donors.”
NAFUM President Dr. Gian Fulgoni
If you are in North America and want to donate to The University of Manchester, please visit this website to find out more about how to do this.