Donors were in a giving mood for the 2005 holiday season,
demonstrated by a marked increase in gifts to the EMU Foundation.
The EMU Foundation received $1,354,538 million, with a
total of 3,757 gifts in December 2005. This places total
giving at $4 million to date and represents a significant
gain compared to December 2004, when $920,522 in cash,
stock and gifts-in-kind was received.
"Giving is up as a result of increased communications
with EMU alumni and friends, who are responding to the
needs of our students and to the great programs that EMU
has to offer," said Thomas Stevick, interim vice president
for advancement and interim executive director, EMU Foundation.
Included in the December 2005 total is an additional gift
of $200,000 from Phil Jenkins, friend and local philanthropist,
who has donated more than $500,000 to EMU to date. His
generosity supports Jenkins-Tracy Expendable Scholarships
in the College of Education's Leadership and Counseling
Department. Last year, his gift provided tuition for 16
graduate-level students.
Jenkins owned Sweepster, Inc., which manufactures attachment,
walk-behind, self-propelled and airport runway sweepers
for all types of equipment used around the globe. His unselfish
philanthropy also has funded the creation of the Generations
Together center in Dexter where preschool children and
senior citizens learn daily from each other. He is an avid
supporter of the expansion of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
and the Ann Arbor Neutral Zone.
With his scholarship gift to EMU, Jenkins hopes to help
address a critical shortage of trained school administrators
and counselors in Michigan and the nation.
