Grand Valley State University’s Board of Trustees had its first meeting of the year on Friday and formally accepted monetary gifts to the university received in the last quarter.

Karen Loth, vice president for development on the board, gave a summary of the more than $7 million in gifts and pledge payments given to GVSU from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 of 2013.

“All of the gifts received will impact students, primarily through academic programs, scholarships and faculty support,” Loth said.

She added that the fall semester brought in the second highest amount that the university has ever accepted.

“This is primarily the result of overall increased fundraising efforts and gifts received during the Shaping Our Future comprehensive campaign,” Loth said.

The Shaping Our Future campaign has been around since 2007 and gifts for the campaign helped fund the development of the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons as well as the L. William Seidman Center.

Overall, donation numbers are up 12.1 percent from last year. Loth said parent giving is at an all time high — up 21 percent from last year — while alumni donors are down from last year by 2.8 percent.

The Campaign and Special Projects area of donations received more than $1.1 million for the Common Ground Initiative at the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies and for athletics to construct a rehabilitation center and other projects. Loth said this area in University Development is now only $900,000 away from a $2 million goal.

“University Development set this goal to further the university’s strategic plan,” she said.

This is an annual goal that the university plans to reach by the end of this fiscal year on June 30.

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