ETH Foundation awarded the Fundraising Prize
The ETH Foundation has received the University Fundraising Prize 2021 from the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (Deutscher Hochschulverband DHV) for its success in corporate fundraising.
The prize has been awarded to universities demonstrating best practice examples of fundraising for the past six years. This year marks the second time it was open to the DACH countries.
ETH Zurich has had close ties to the economy since it was founded. The development and expansion of corporate cooperation is a key focus at the university, be it with regard to promoting talented students and young entrepreneurs, or accelerating research in various areas. “This award represents prestigious recognition from the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers and underlines the relevance of university fundraising. Support from donors and partners is what enables ETH Zurich to remain competitive on the global stage and deliver outstanding achievements for science and society,” explains Detlef Günther, Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich and member of the Board of Trustees of the ETH Foundation Germany. Partnerships with companies such as Siemens, ABB, Clariant and AMAG enable the university to focus on areas including sustainable construction, robotics, catalysis and mobility, and pave the way for key research developments to be integrated into society more quickly.
In this sense, the ETH Foundation actively builds bridges between the university and its partners – it initiates and nurtures partnerships and enables them to work in the interests of the partners and society. This is a point which is highlighted in DHV’s award rationale: “The companies benefit from especially in-depth, exclusive insights into top-level research thanks to very close, personal ties with scientists, researchers and young talented individuals. The ETH Foundation fosters its relationships with donors in a structured way, ensuring that it provides the right format for each corporate supporter as part of a diverse mix of fundraising sources.”
The DACH University Fundraising Prize
Recipients of the DACH University Fundraising Prize receive EUR 5,000. The prize money, which is donated by the consultancy firm rheform, is intended to be used for university fundraising or an ongoing fundraising project. The virtual award ceremony took place 10 May 2021 as part of the 12th DHV HRK Fundraising Congress.
