$10 million largest donation in UA history

Kristy Mangos Arizona Daily Wildcat Thelma Frederico, research technicion and helpline counselor, works at the back desk at the Arizona Program for Nicotine and Tobacco Research Center. The center is one branch supported by the Arizona Prevention Center and is affected by the Canyon Ranch grant.

The Canyon Ranch Inc.'s pledge to the UA's Arizona Prevention Center, which will be paid over 10 years, is the largest in the 112-year history of the university.

"We've really seen a new generation of private philanthropy. It's a very positive social statement - being very rich brings opportunities as well as obligations including giving back to the community," said Kent Campbell, director of the center.

Campbell said Canyon Ranch's gift is on par with Bill Gate's much publicized gift to the University of Washington last year.

"This fundamentally shortens the time it will take and expands our ability to develop programs," Campbell said.

APC, named a UA College of Medicine's Center of Excellence in April, will use the funds to get several programs off the ground. Half the money will go toward a new Public Health School building on a site yet to be determined. The other half will support programs in the works including an endowed chair position, seed grants and fellowships for public health graduate students. The money will also help programs supported by APC, like the Arizona Program for Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

The donation may be the largest in UA's history, but in past years others have come close.

"Over the last 10 years we have had many, many gifts in the million dollar plus range," said Richard F. Imwalle, president of the UA Foundation.

These include the $7.5 million grant from the Flinn Foundation to the College of Medicine, the photo archive valued at $7 million given to the Center for Creative Photography by photographer Richard Avedon and the $6 million commitment from the Marley Foundation to the College of Agriculture.

From preliminary reports, Imwalle estimated that private grants totaled in excess of $50 million last year. These grants support scholarships, research and faculty salaries.

"Private grants have a tremendous influence on educational excellence at the University of Arizona," Imwalle said.

Though UA is a public institution only 33 percent of UA's total budget comes from state appropriation, said Dick Roberts, chief budget officer. The rest of the money comes from research contracts, tuition and private gifts.

"Private grants are a very significant vehicle by which we can move the institution into the pursuit of new knowledge and information," Roberts said.

The bulk of scholarship moneys awarded are from private sources, Roberts said

Roberts also noted that, like APC, program strategies will be in place, but need the extra money supplied by gifts to push forward.

This makes private grants critical, Roberts said.

APC was chosen as the recipient because its goals meshed with that of Canyon Ranch, Campbell said.

"The prevention center has a mission of extending health promotions into the community which has been a longtime goal of Canyon Ranch ," Campbell said.

"Canyon Ranch is dedicated to teaching people about a healthy lifestyle and personal responsibility for maintaining good health and vitality," said Mel Zuckerman, founder of the top-rated health resorts Canyon Ranch in Tucson and Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires in Massachusetts.

Thus, the trend in large donations from corporations, businesses and wealthy individuals to special causes and academic institutions is fortunate, Campbell said.

"This is really a very powerful time - people with resources are seeing the increased importance of partnering with other institutions," Campbell said.

Close But Not Quite

These donations come close to the $10 million for the largest donation in UA history.

Donor: Flinn Foundation Amount: $7.5 million Benefits: UA College of Medicine

Donor: Photographer Richard Avedon

Amount: worth $7 million

Benefits: Photo collection Center for Creative Photography

Donor: Marley Foundation

Amount: $6 million Benefits: College of Agriculture