Duke has received a $5-million gift to support scholarships and student fellowships, University officials announced Wednesday.
The gift comes from the Crown family, several of whom are Duke alumni and involved campus leaders.
The contribution designates $4 million in endowment for need-based scholarships for undergraduate students, $750,000 for undergraduate summer fellowships and $250,000 to establish a Crown Family Lacrosse Scholarship.
"The Crown family has already been incredibly supportive of Duke," President Richard Brodhead said in a statement. "I am grateful that this gift will go toward what I regard as our most fundamental obligation: providing our students with the financial support that will enable them to reach their potential."
The $4.25 million provided for scholarships also supports the University's Financial Aid Initiative, which aims to raise $300 million over a period of three years, FAI Director Susan Ross said.
The Crown gift brings the FAI total to $218 million, on track to reach its goal by December 2008, she added.
"Our family wholeheartedly supports Duke's need-blind admissions policy, and we want to ensure its legacy by strengthening the University's permanent financial aid endowment," Paula Crown, Trinity '80 and a member of the Duke Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "We believe deeply in the University's pursuit of academic excellence and service to society, and we are pleased to be part of this important initiative."
The Crown Family Lacrosse Scholarship aims to support male and female lacrosse players demonstrating excellence in academics and leadership. Keat Crown, Trinity '00, is a former co-captain of the men's lacrosse team and currently serves as the Duke Annual Fund's national chair of young alumni leadership giving.
The funds for summer fellowship will support the recently announced DukeEngage, a $30-million initiative to promote civic engagement worldwide for Duke undergraduates.
"We are especially pleased our gift can support DukeEngage, which will enable Duke students to participate in serious service activities locally, nationally or globally," Paula Crown said.
Ross said it is common for individual gifts, like the Crowns', to be designated across a spectrum of areas-such as summer opportunities and athletics-because donors tend to support programs that are meaningful to them.
"All of these programs benefit from gift support from alumni, and the fundraising staff tries to match up the donors' interests with the needs on campus," Ross wrote in an e-mail.
The gift, like the entire FAI, is designated for endowment, making it a permanent gift that will build upon itself.
"The $5 million will be invested by Duke and only the income will be used; thus every year in perpetuity there will be Crown Scholarships awarded," Ross said. "Over time, hundreds and hundreds of students will be supported by this permanent endowment fund-it will never run out."
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