A national survey says charitable contributions to colleges and universities fell 11.9 percent in 2009. That is the biggest drop since the collection of data began, 40 years ago.
Researchers at the Council for Aid to Education said gifts to private schools suffered more sharply than public schools. Yale University saw giving decline nearly 27%, the worst number in the country.
But many Ohio schools fared far better.
At Case Western Reserve University, Vice President Bruce Loessin says new cash was increased for the second year in a row, an increase of 5.25% over fiscal 2008.
At Baldwin Wallace, the Vice President for advancement called 2009 "a banner year", with a 22% increase in total dollars received, while their annual fund showed a drop of only 1%.
Ohio University reported that the number of contributors fell, but by less than 5%.... while the 'actual dollars' collected were nearly $350 million `more' than in 2008.
At The Ohio State University, money from gifts was also barely down - just 1.9% from 2008, to 2009.
The much smaller Cleveland Institute of Art did see a decline in giving along the lines of the national report, between 10 &12%.
But school Director Mike Cole characterized it as not being a budget breaker.
MIKE COLE:
"in the fall of 2008 through the spring of 2009, we definitely saw a fall off in contributions to our annual fund and a slackening of the pace of people giving to our capital campaign."
Yet at the end of 2009, Cole says he's seen donors returning, and that the Institute's first ever capital campaign is continuing to get gifts.
Case's Loessin characterized the region's rebound as fortunate, saying the strength of the schools has a positive impact on the entire economy.
