BATON ROUGE – ExxonMobil employees and retirees continued their longstanding support of LSU academics with another generous gift to the LSU Foundation and the Forever LSU campaign.
On April 30, the LSU Foundation received a gift of $1,129,585 from the ExxonMobil Foundation. This total represents the matching of many gifts to LSU, which were eligible for ExxonMobil’s Educational Matching Gift Program in 2009. This is the third year in a row in which LSU has received more than $1 million in matching funds from ExxonMobil. In 2008, LSU became the first university in the world to receive more than $1 million in matching funds from ExxonMobil in one calendar year.
ExxonMobil’s Educational Matching Gift Program is a leader in private industry, having donated to colleges and universities across the United States, year after year. Historically, LSU is one of the top universities in the world for attracting support from this program.
“The consistent and generous support of ExxonMobil and its employees, retirees and annuitants means so much to the students and faculty of our university,” said Maj. Gen. William Bowdon, president and CEO of the LSU Foundation. “We are honored to have ExxonMobil as a friend of LSU, and we thank them deeply for the leadership and vision they show to higher education through their matching gift program. This is only one of many examples why ExxonMobil is admired in our community and across the globe.”
Participants in the ExxonMobil Educational Matching Gift Program include current employees, retirees, annuitants and surviving spouses of former employees and company directors. Since its inception in 1962, the program has provided more than $423 million to higher education in the United States.
“These generous donations from ExxonMobil employees and retirees validate their belief in higher education as an investment for the future,” said Baton Rouge Refinery Manager Steve Blume. “This focus on education is paving the way for leaders of tomorrow who will be crucial for the continued success of our country.”
About ExxonMobil Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The foundation and the corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. Globally, ExxonMobil provides funding to improve basic education and combat malaria and other infectious diseases in developing countries. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contributions programs is available at http://www.exxonmobil.com/community.
About The LSU Foundation
The LSU Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation which serves as LSU’s academic fundraising and support organization. The LSU Foundation is a vital part of the Forever LSU campaign, a university-wide effort to raise $750 million in support for LSU by the end of the year 2010. Learn more about the campaign for LSU and its goals at www.foreverlsu.org.
For additional information regarding this story or the LSU Foundation,contact Scott Madere at 225-578-3826 or smadere@lsufoundation.org.