The America for Bulgaria Foundation Donates $250,000 to AUBG, Will Match Alumni Donations up to $500,000
Continuing their long-standing support for the American University in Bulgaria, the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) has donated $250,000 to the institution. Half of the gift will be used for scholarships to support the best and brightest incoming Bulgarian students, while the rest will go to improving administrative processes and supporting the Board of Trustees in fulfilling their visionary plans for the university.
The foundation will also support the Alumni Pledge by matching up to $500,000 in donations made between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2020. The pledge initiative, launched in the fall of 2019 by the AUBG Alumni Association, has already gathered more than $300,000 from over 150 graduates. Through ABF's support the contributions made in the first half of this year could exceed $1 million.
“AUBG is one of the many ways in which ABF provides direct support to Bulgaria’s education sector, helping to position Bulgaria as a dynamic and competitive economy to work and live in,” said Nancy Schiller, ABF’s President & CEO. “America for Bulgaria Foundation is privileged to contribute to the goodwill and friendship between Bulgaria and the United States.”
“We are extremely grateful to the America for Bulgaria Foundation for their generosity and great support over the years," said Dr. Carolyn Stefanco, Chair of the AUBG Board of Trustees. "The foundation is a brilliant example of an institution devoted to democratic values and the economic development of Bulgaria. The support the foundation gives to the university and our students is a testimony to the important role our students have played in the development of the country.”
“ABF has been a great and supportive partner of AUBG for many years,” said Dr. David R. Evans, AUBG Interim President, “and this donation and matching grant are a wonderful show of confidence in the university to deliver on its mission of outstanding democratic education. We look forward to continued friendship as we work to build on the university’s past successes for an even greater future.”
ABF began operating in Bulgaria in 2009 to strengthen the country’s private sector and related democratic institutions. It builds on the success of the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund, created in 1991 by the U.S. Congress with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
With total donations of more than $23 million, ABF has become AUBG's biggest supporter, helping hundreds of students receive world-class education. The student center on the Skaptopara campus bears the foundation's name in honor of their generous contributions.