While the California State University system is facing tough times financially due to the state’s economic crisis, Sacramento State is doing well in the area of fundraising thanks to endowments from the estates of alumni.

Sac State received two gifts totaling $700,000 for the Office of University Advancement in October.

Alumna Nancy Pierce Owens, a former Associated Students Inc. vice president, left the school more than $400,000 from her estate. The money will benefit the Nancy Pierce Owens Memorial Scholarship Endowment for undergraduate students in the College of Education.

Another alumna, who was the associate vice-president for Academic Affairs, Earline Ames, left $300,000 to Sac State to benefit students studying to be teachers.

Fran Baxter-Guigli, director of Development Operations, said all of the money received this fiscal year, which began in July, has been for student scholarships.

Rebecca Thompson, associate vice president for development, said many donors were first-generation college graduates and attributed their successful careers to having college degrees.

Thompson said because many alumni worked their way through school and remember how difficult it could be at times, they see gifting money to the students as a way to make school a little easier.

“Around 60 percent of current students work 30 hours or more while attending school,” Thompson said.

While the two, large gifts received in October are from the estates of deceased alumni, living alumni are also giving.

“I enjoy going to the Sac State baseball games, so I started a scholarship program for baseball players that were receiving business degrees,” Jack Bertolucci, a Sac State alumnus said.

Bertolucci started the scholarship after he noticed no members of the baseball team were pursuing business degrees. He said he thinks it is important for students to get business degrees because he feels getting his degree in business gave him the opportunity to become successful as a mortgage banker. Bertolucci recently started a scholarship program for soccer players for the same reason.

Sac State actively pursues these types of donations from alumni.

Thompson said development directors meet regularly with alumni to ensure the opportunity to give to the school is always available.

Thompson said the development department has been watching for a dip in giving because of the struggling economy. Individuals have been giving the same amount of money to the school as in the past, while corporations have been giving a little less, she said.

Over the last three years, Thompson said Sac State has met their goal of $16.9 million a year. Last year the university received $17.3 million. She said the school is on track to meet the same goal this year.

Thompson said operations is trying to keep in touch with the alumni to keep them informed of all the events happening on campus.

“Our goal is to have Sac State be the alumnus philanthropic organization of their choice,” Baxter-Guigli said.

Baxter-Guigli said the gifts are a testimony to how much people value education.

“It is our obligation to use gifts accordingly. I think if that person came back in a year or two, would he or she be happy with how we used the money?” Baxter-Guigli said. “The best things these special alums want to do is just visit and then know what is happening at their alma mater.”

Sally King can be reached at [email protected]