Historically, most Annual Fund money is used to provide students with financial aid. That's true across the institution. Hopkins' scholarship endowment is less than that of peer institutions, so Annual Fund money is absolutely vital if we are to continue to compete for the best students year after year.

Put to use in the year they are received, annual gifts make an immediate and important difference. All of the University's academic divisions and Johns Hopkins Medicine depend on annual gifts.

Support Homewood

• The Hopkins Fund last year provided more than $1 million in scholarship aid to undergraduates in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering. Hopkins Fund gifts also support undergraduate teaching and research at the two schools, as well as provide materials and online journal access at the Milton S. Eisenhower Library.

• The Parents Fund expands resources for student life at Homewood. Last year, gifts of more than $500,000 provided funding to simulcast a concert by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis on the lower quad, underwrite Fall Fest activities, provide social programs in Charles Commons, and sponsor B-More, an new Intersession class that introduces freshmen to aspects of Baltimore's history and culture.

• Blue Jays Unlimited supports varsity student-athletes at Johns Hopkins. More than 1,800 alumni, parents, and friends of Hopkins Athletics have become annual members of Blue Jays Unlimited.

• Graduate Annual Funds in the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering are essential in supporting the work of faculty and graduate students.

Support Other Divisions

• Annual gifts to the Carey Business School create opportunities for student scholarships, faculty support, enhanced career services, and the development of new academic and research programs.

• Unrestricted annual gifts to the School of Education support scholarships for full and part time students. They also support innovative academic programs and research initiatives designed to improve the quality of PK-12 education, especially in our most challenged urban schools.

• At the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies annual gifts support student fellowships, teaching and research, career services, technology, and improvement of facilities at campuses in Washington, D.C.; Bologna, Italy; and Nanjing, China. Last year, 80% of annual gifts were put toward teaching, research, and student aid.

• The School of Medicine annual fund has provided remarkable scholarship support over the years. Last year, Hopkins medical students received more than $1.3 million in financial aid thanks to annual gifts. Annual gifts also provide the dean with crucial flexibility in supporting the Welch Library, basic science research, and capital improvements.

• Annual gifts from Friends of Johns Hopkins Medicine support both research and initiatives to enhance patient care.

• Gifts to the School of Nursing help ensure that the very best students can earn a Hopkins degree. Nearly 90% of the School's students require some sort of financial aid, and the need remains great.

• Annual gifts to the Bloomberg School of Public Health support the education of public health professionals worldwide, helping to fund fellowships and research projects. A gift to the School's annual fund can have a direct effect on the health and safety of children and adults in the United States and around the globe.

• Annual gifts to the Peabody Institute provide scholarship support for the Peabody Conservatory's talented young musicians—more than 80% of whom require some form of financial aid. Last year, gifts underwrote more than 50 scholarship awards. Annual gifts were also used to purchase instruments and recording equipment.

• Gifts to the Sheridan Libraries annual fund advance research and scholarship at Johns Hopkins; increase access to electronic resources; and enhance Library collections, reader services, and expert assistance.

• Center for Talented Youth annual fund gifts enable academically talented 2nd-12th grade students to enroll in CTY's summer programs and online learning courses in the United States. In 2007, more than 1,000 students received aid through donor gifts.

• At the Institute for Policy Studies, annual gifts support seminars, roundtables, and public presentations on pressing policy issues and questions. By raising awareness and stimulating discussion, the Institute shapes the formulation and implementation of policy locally, nationally, and internationally.

• Gifts to the Berman Institute of Bioethics annual fund, particularly unrestricted gifts, help the Institute address both current requirements and needs and opportunities as they arise, ensuring academic excellence.

• The Johns Hopkins University Press annual fund helps to ensure that the best scholarship continues to appear under the Johns Hopkins University Press imprint.