At the end of February, Kent State had raised about $1 million more than it did last year at that time.

For this fiscal year so far, from the beginning of July 2005 through February 2006, the university had raised about $7.4 million, said Kathy Stafford, vice president of university relations and development. At that time last year, they had raised about $6.4 million.

They may be ahead now, but that is not a definite indication of how they will finish out the year, Stafford said.

“You never know when money’s going to come in,” she said. “It goes up and down.”

The timing of gifts largely affects these fundraising total fluctuations, said Steve Sokany, associate vice president for university development. The university can predict overall annual giving, but not large gifts, and those are the ones that can make a significant difference.

While official figures for March are not out yet, Stafford said the university reached about $9.9 million, a significant jump.

“We’re encouraged because we’re ahead,” Stafford said. “It’s a good sign.”

March’s total took such a leap primarily because the university received two major gifts, Sokany said, equaling about $1.5 million.

The increase reflects the department’s hard work in fundraising, Stafford said. Some of the gains may be related to the centennial campaign work, but some are just from annual gifts from regular donors.

Contact administration reporter Rachel Abbey at [email protected].