Imperial opened its doors to more than 360 donors and friends of the College on 25 November, for its biggest-ever celebration of giving.

President Alice Gast, along with Imperial staff and students, welcomed many of Imperial’s growing community of donors at a special Thank You Reception organised to celebrate the contribution that donors made to College life in 2013–14.

2013–14 was a landmark year in fundraising at Imperial, with a record-breaking 5,403 donors together giving more than £54.2 million for research and scholarships during the year. The support of donors funded 110 undergraduate scholarships through the President's Scholarship Fund and, for the second year running, provided support for PhD scholarships. 

Developing new leaders

President's Scholar Oliver Clipsham

In her welcome speech, President Gast thanked donors for their generosity, and said that support for higher education had never been more important: “Today’s world demands new leaders, critical thinkers, fresh ways of approaching persistent problems, and innovative ways of handling the new problems that arise. That is what we do here at Imperial – we develop thinkers and leaders, we extend knowledge and develop solutions. And we can do all this only because of your continued support  – the support of our donors.”

President's Scholar Oliver Clipsham spoke of the impact his scholarship had had on his time at Imperial, and thanked guests for their generosity. Looking back on his four years at the College he said: "On behalf of myself and all the scholars here at Imperial, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks that you have donated to ensure that more students may go on to have a similarly wonderful experience."

Recognising commitment

The reception also marked the launch of the Imperial 1907 Circle, which recognises the generosity of those who give £5,000 or more a year. Members of the Circle receive a commemorative lapel pin, a personalised report on the impact of their donation, and an invitation to special events hosted by the President. More than 80 founder members were welcomed into the Circle in November 2014. 

Exploring research

A series of interactive exhibition stands in the Queen’s Tower Rooms gave guests the chance to learn more about some of the latest research at Imperial, and to meet academic staff from across faculties.

See a slideshow of images from the exhibition stands:

Reflections on the event

Dr Michael McCann (PhD Electrical Engineering 1963), visiting from the US, took time out from his schedule to return to the College, where he studied for his doctorate. A member of the Imperial 1851 Circle, Mike is a longstanding supporter of scholarships at the College. For Mike, it is the role of education as the foundation for a rewarding career that motivates him to give. “My PhD has been the key to everything I’ve done professionally,” he said. 

Alumnus Owen Jones (Mathematics 2010) began supporting the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative in 2013. The connection to Imperial was coincidental, he says: “I was doing some research about which charities offer good value for money, and found that the SCI was recommended by the Giving What We Can website. That was important to me.”