LA GRANDE – The Eastern Oregon University Foundation has received $1.5 million in two contributions from an anonymous donor.

The gifts, announced Friday, Oct. 24, amount to the largest single private contribution in EOU’s 79-year history.

The first $1 million gift is restricted to scholarships and will provide financial assistance in priority order to women, under-represented minorities and all eligible EOU students. A second $500,000 donation will provide unrestricted funds for Foundation-supported programs.

“The impact of these gifts will be extraordinary and felt for many years to come,” said Dixie Lund, EOU president. “We are truly grateful to the donor for showing such generosity in support of EOU students and our university as a whole.”

Tim Seydel, associate vice president for Marketing, Development and Public Affairs at EOU, said the EOU Foundation will place the funds into endowments and earnings should be available for scholarships to students beginning next fall.

The criteria outlined by the donor and eligibility requirements are being finalized by the Foundation and will be made available to students as soon as they are completed. The $500,000 gift has been placed in another endowment to support Foundation programs. The total $1.5 million charitable contribution equals approximately one-third of the Foundation’s current endowment.

“Providing financial support to students in the form of scholarships is vitally important, especially in the midst of this difficult economic climate,” said Steve Joseph, president of the EOU Foundation. “These tremendous gifts will enable the Foundation to help even more students and continue to support EOU’s mission far into the future.”