Berkeley - A record number of nearly 75,000 gifts was made to the University of California, Berkeley in the 1999-2000 fiscal year ending June 30, 2000. The contributions by alumni and friends of the campus totalled some $201.4 million.

With five months to go before UC Berkeley completes its Campaign for the New Century, the campus so far has raised more than $1.2 billion, exceeding its $1.1-billion fundraising goal.

"I am gratified at the level of support of our alumni and friends," said Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl. "This support is essential for keeping UC Berkeley at the forefront of teaching, research and public service in the 21st century."

Major contributions in the 1999-2000 fiscal year, including gifts from corporations and foundations, are as follows:

The Campaign for the New Century helps faculty and students directly through increased professorships, fellowships and scholarships, with new endowments ensuring benefits well into the new century.

The unrestricted Chancellor's Millennium Fund, a $50-million component of the drive, is helping Berdahl restore the strength of the University Library, create Chancellor's Chairs for new faculty, and expand the statewide K-12 outreach efforts of the Berkeley Pledge.

As a public university which has seen its share of state support dwindle-from more than half of the campus's budget in 1985 to a third today-UC Berkeley, through the efforts of its faculty and staff, has worked diligently to forge stronger connections with its alumni and friends around the world.

The Campaign for the New Century was launched publicly in 1996 and is designed to help continue attracting, supporting, and retaining the best faculty and students at UC Berkeley. Since the campaign began in 1993, the percentage of alumni who give to UC Berkeley has increased by 50 percent.