Private giving to UC Davis totaled $110 million between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2002, the first time the campus had surpassed $100 million in gifts. The amount was also 42 percent higher than the previous campus record of $77.4 million, set in 2000-01.

Encouraged by a strong start in the 2002-03 fiscal year -- $24.7 million in the first quarter -- UC Davis officials hope that the campus can build upon its fund-raising success of 2001-02.

"Last year was an incredibly productive and successful fund-raising year for the university," said Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef. "If we can come close to repeating its success, we will make great progress in enhancing educational programs and improving the facilities that are vital to our students, faculty and the Davis community."

A $35 million contribution from Napa Valley wine maker Robert Mondavi and his wife, Margrit, boosted last year's fund-raising total. It is the largest gift ever received by UC Davis, and it established the UC Davis Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and named the UC Davis Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Celeste Rose, vice chancellor for university relations, hopes that the Mondavi gift, one of the five largest gifts ever given by individuals to UC, will inspire other donors.

"Gracious generosity such as that of Robert and Margrit Mondavi happens rarely, but when it does, it has an enormous impact upon an institution," said Rose. "We hope that others are inspired by their expression of support, which will enable us to further increase the momentum of private giving -- a trend that has characterized fund raising at UC Davis for the last decade."

So far, this year's results support that hope, with nearly every UC Davis donor group contributing at levels that match or are ahead of the 2001-02 pace.

Corporations contributed nearly $12 million through the end of September 2002, more than twice the amount they had given during the first quarter a year ago. Nonprofit organizations have given $4.6 million to date, $2.3 million ahead of last year's pace, and alumni donations are up 61 percent, or $1.1 million, compared to the first quarter of 2001-02.

Private foundations donated $4.4 million in the first quarter of 2002-03, while campus-related organizations gave $322,000.

Non-alumni individuals gave UC Davis $2.4 million in the first quarter. Although this total trails the amount non-alumni had given by this time last year, the gap can be attributed to the Mondavi gift, made in September 2001.

Rose thinks that private support could continue at high levels through the end of calendar year 2002. "Typically, the second quarter shows significant strength in donor support," Rose said.

"We would expect this trend to continue this year, notwithstanding the current economic climate."

The ability of the campus to secure multimillion-dollar contributions is another basis for her optimism. "UC Davis is an institution on the move," Rose said. "We have excellent programs and outstanding faculty who are well positioned to attract major gifts and grants. Last year, for instance, the Whitaker Foundation awarded $12 million to the College of Engineering for its new Department of Biomedical Engineering."

In addition to the Whitaker Foundation gift, other 2001-02 major gifts for research programs and facilities included:

* $1.6 million from the Claire Giannini Fund for an equine performance laboratory in the School of Veterinary Medicine;

* $1.1 million from the American Cancer Society Inc. for three research projects in the Division of Biological Sciences and the College of Letters and Science; and

* two grants with a combined value of $1.02 million to the College of Engineering and the School of Medicine from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

In all, the campus received more than $32 million in 2001-02 for research purposes. Only the $46.7 million given for campus improvements exceeded that amount.

Fiscal year 2001-02 saw significant increases in several donor categories. The portion of campus private support coming from non-alumni individuals rose dramatically to 47 percent, or $51.6 million, compared to 19 percent of the 2000-01 gift total. The Mondavi gift accounted for much of this dramatic increase.

At the same time, the $5.7 million in gifts from UC Davis alumni more than doubled the $2.75 million from alumni in fiscal '01, and that increase holds promise for the future, Vanderhoef said.

"We were pleased to see such strong support from all of our constituencies," he said, adding: "The dramatic growth in gifts from individuals was especially encouraging, suggesting the enhanced value alumni and friends place upon the teaching, research and community service provided by UC Davis."

In addition to the Mondavi gift, several others from individuals or their estates exceeded $1 million in 2001-02, including:

* $2.09 million from Barbara K. Jackson, primarily for the performing arts center and a faculty chair in the music department, bringing her lifetime commitment to the arts to well over $5 million;

* a $1.85 million bequest from the estate of Gladys S. Smith for undergraduate and medical student scholarships; and

* a $1.38 million charitable unitrust from veterinary medicine alumnus Michael R. Floyd for the school.

The big increase in fiscal year '02 fund-raising results is reflected in the gift totals of several schools and colleges.

The Mondavi gift buoyed the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences' gift total to $39.5 million, 150 percent of its fiscal '01 total. The Whitaker Foundation's gift to biomedical engineering helped the College of Engineering better its 2000-01 total by $11.7 million, more than 250 percent of the previous fund-raising year.

The School of Law and the Graduate School of Management also saw significant increases in their gift totals, with the law school receiving $694,000, a 133 percent increase over its fiscal '01 amount, and the management school receiving $708,000 for the year, a 67 percent jump in its gift income.