Donations to private Minn. colleges rebounding

Donations to private Minnesota colleges have rebounded from the recession, according to the organization that represents many of them.

The Minnesota Private College Council said donations peaked in 2008 at $180 million.

The next year, the recession caused contributions to drop by about a third.

By 2011, the most recent year cited, donations just missed that peak by a million dollars.

Alumni accounted for much of the comeback, according to the council.

One in five graduates gave to his or her college, and that money accounted for 42 percent of donations — the largest portion. The remainder came from foundations, parents, corporations and others.

The data comes from a survey of 14 of the council's 17 member colleges.

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