Donations to Mississippi State earn $288K ‘match’ from ExxonMobil
June 16, 2014
MSU Provost Jerry Gilbert accepts ExxonMobil’s donation from MSU graduate Paula Jean Runge
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Nearly 40 individual donors tripled their investment in Mississippi State’s future through a gift-match program at ExxonMobil.
On a recent campus visit, 2004 Mississippi State graduate Paula Jean Runge presented a $288,437.25 check to Jerome A. Gilbert on behalf of the ExxonMobil Foundation. The donation represents a 3-to-1 match of financial contributions to the university from the company’s employees, retirees and surviving spouses in 2013.
“We are grateful to the ExxonMobil Foundation for matching the gifts of their employees to multiply the impact. It will assist us in our role of helping train the next generation of scientists and engineers who will solve the technical challenges of the 21st century,” said Gilbert, Mississippi State provost and executive vice president.
A letter to the Mississippi State administration that accompanied the check asks that a portion of the funds be directed towards math and science programs, including professional development for educators and efforts that encourage young people, women and minorities to pursue science and engineering careers.
The MSU funds are among more than $44 million being provided to nearly 900 colleges and universities nationwide through the 2013 Educational Matching Gift Program. This is a company-wide increase of more than 10 percent increase over the previous year.
ExxonMobil’s gift matching program is one of thousands of its kind sponsored by companies across the country. It is considered one of the most generous because it provides a 3-to-1 match of donations up to $7,500. Since it was established in 1962, the program has provided more than $536 million to American institutions of higher learning.
The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of ExxonMobil Corp. It supports a range of activities that advance education with a focus on math and science, promote women as a catalyst for economic development, and combat malaria.
For more information about matching gift programs that benefit Mississippi State University, visit http://msufoundation.com or contact Lynn Durr.