Imperial celebrated a peak in philanthropic giving on 18 November as President & Rector Sir Keith O'Nions hosted the largest ever gathering of donors.

Staff and students from across the College thanked over 260 alumni and supporters at the annual Donor Thank You Event.

The event marked a significant fundraising milestone as 2012-13 saw the highest number of individuals donating to Imperial compared to any previous year. More than 4,500 individuals donated to Imperial, equating to a 25% increase on 2011-12.

Opening proceedings Sir Keith said: “There are hundreds of you here who have made donations to the College, and those who have benefitted from your generosity say thank you.”

Students thanking the donors included some of the 85 Rector’s Scholars who joined the College last month – the largest cohort since the Fund was created. Over 50% of Imperial’s donors in 2012-13 supported the Rector's Scholarship Fund.

Another major beneficiary during 2012-13 was the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, receiving donations from nearly 1,000 individuals. Other philanthropic highlights from the year included the establishment of eight new named scholarship programmes.

The event also saw the launch of the Imperial 1851 Circle, which recognises donors who invest in the future of Imperial through annual gifts of between £1,000 and £4,999.

Explaining the name of the new leadership giving circle, Sir Keith said: “We are deeply proud of our nineteenth century heritage. The 1851 exhibition set an ideal, a goal and a vision for what could be created here. When you think about where the values of Imperial and its alumni came from, 1851 is a great starting point.”

Reflections on the event

Hear why alumni and friends decided to support Imperial and how their gifts have helped, or see more images from the event.

Judith Farr (Physics, 1962): "I was a student here and I had a wonderful time. When I came my education was all free, and I think that if I were coming now I just wouldn’t be able to stand the thought of debt. I thought it would be quite nice to give a helping hand to some current students."

Adam Rumley (MSc Physics 2005): "When I was at the College I did expeditions as a member of the Exploration Society. I would never have had those opportunities without the support of the College. I’m now trying to give a bit back."

Lee Fulton (MSc Managment Science, 1986): "Education is very important; it’s a springboard to one’s future. I want to support Imperial to ensure that it maintains that standard of academic excellence." 

Jessica Charter (Kingsbury Scholar, Civil and Environmental Engineering): "I’m a Kingsbury Scholar and the support means that I’m able to do other things and to broaden my knowledge. I’ve been able to attend some events that normally I couldn’t afford, for example."

Tom Croll (pictured left): "I did quite a lot of research into charities and we chose Imperial because it’s heavily science based."

Lizzie Croll (pictured right): "We donated some money from our wedding to the charity in lieu of wedding presents. That was definitely Tom’s choice!"

Peter Williams (Charing Cross Hospital Medical School 1974): "I’m very proud that Imperial is so high up the world rankings of universities, and I felt that the more I can do to strengthen it the better."

Watch the video screened at the event

The impact of giving

alumni