In total, the foundation processed close to 150,000 donations – up roughly 20,000 from the previous year. “That speaks volumes,” said Michael J. Morsberger, chief executive officer of the University of Central Florida Foundation and vice president of Advancement. “More and more people see the value in UCF’s mission and are choosing to support it.”
UCF Foundation CEO Mike Morsberger
UCF’s fundraising success and Morsberger’s strong leadership have recently been recognized by CASE, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, which named UCF one of the universities to receive their national Educational Fundraising Award for the second year in a row. The award is based on a blind review of performance metrics.
The organization also chose Morsberger as one of two recipients of the 2020 CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award, which recognizes valuable contributions through best practices, distinguished service and leadership. This is one of the fundraising industry’s most prestigious national honors.
“We are fortunate to have someone with Mike’s experience and commitment leading UCF’s philanthropic efforts, which help us transform lives and create a better society,” says President Alexander N. Cartwright. “The results of his hard work can be seen everywhere: a robust donor base, an engaged Foundation board, and a university with an established and increasing capacity to raise funds that enable us to be one of America’s leading metropolitan research universities.”
Morseberger says that the UCF Foundation does not expect to rest on its laurels going forward — despite the economic challenges presented by the pandemic. “We have never shied away from a challenge,” he says. “We will set aggressive goals, work hard and do UCF proud.”
The fiscal year 2021 goal will soon be announced publicly but “we are shooting for the stars and expecting big results, even in a year of uncertainty,” says Morsberger. “It’s the UCF way.”