A $10,000 anonymous matching gift helped the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation’s fall Telefund effort raise a record $185,000 in contributions and surpass its $150,000 goal, according to a statement made by the Foundation.

The Foundation also announced that David G. and Carol Anderson of Eau Claire have pledged a similar matching gift in connection with the spring 2003 Telefund drive.

Eau Claire student Telefund callers have been phoning alumni and friends, as well as the parents of current students, each semester since spring 1981. Money raised through Telefund is used by the Foundation to support student scholarships, student/faculty research projects, faculty development initiatives, international study opportunities and other special projects that enable the university to more effectively carry out its mission of learning and service, said Carole Halberg, UW-Eau Claire Foundation president.

“These gifts meet the critical annual needs of the university,” Halberg said.

David Anderson, a 1966 Eau Claire graduate, and Carol Anderson, who attended Eau Claire after earning her degree from another UW System school, also have a daughter who graduated from Eau Claire. David Anderson said his family’s firsthand experiences at the university led to the decision to support the Telefund effort.

“UW-Eau Claire provides its students with an excellent education, but it’s impossible to do that job with tuition and state funding alone,” he said.

During the fall Telefund drive, an anonymous donor matched all contributions of $50 or more from first-time Telefund donors. More than 900 first-time Telefund donors contributed to the fall drive, said Heidi Fisher, the Eau Claire Foundation’s director of annual giving and donor relations.

The anonymous matching gift, the first of its kind for Telefund, was an effective incentive for alumni, friends and parents contacted during the fall Telefund drive, Fisher said. She added that, thanks to the recent pledge from the Andersons, the outlook for the spring drive also looks promising. Students will begin making calls Feb. 2 for the spring Telefund drive, which runs through early May.

“Our alumni, friends and parents were really motivated when they realized their gifts could be doubled by the match from our generous anonymous donor,” Fisher said. “Now, thanks to the generosity of Dave and Carol Anderson, we have the opportunity for another successful Telefund effort. These gifts are such great news for students, faculty and others who benefit from the support generated through Telefund.”

The Andersons’ gift, as well as the anonymous gift and all donations to the Telefund effort, are recognized as contributions to fulfilling the promise of excellence, part of Eau Claire’s effort to progress toward its long-term financial goals. The campaign seeks $35 million in private support by July 2005 for Eau Claire’s people and programs.