In these times of increasing tuition, NIU graduates are pitching in more to fund higher education.

Figures released show a record increase of donors to the NIU Foundation during the first six months of the Fiscal Year 1991, said Tom Montiegel, vice president for Development and University Relations.

Donors to the NIU Foundation increased 48 percent, an actual increase of more than 2,800 donors. This year’s 8,662 donors surpass the 5,856 at this time last year.

Despite the record increase in numbers of donors, it has not translated into a large increase of cash. This year’s donations remain approximately the same as last year’s—just below $700,000.

Alumni contributors increased in number from 4,219 to 6,494, to create a 53.9 percent jump from the previous year. Another gain was scored in the “friends” category of contributions, which rose from 1,031 to 1,200.

Faculty-staff donations have shown an increase this year which might be attributed to improved computer records on that form of donation. Also, corporate donors have risen to 304 to top last year’s 294 total.

The exception to the list of increasing donors was a slight decline in the amount of “parents” who contributed amounting to a slide of 17 donors.

A phone-a-thon campaign conducted during th fall semester is responsible for reaching more than 50,000 NIU alumni said Robert Brown, director of special gifts. More than a third of those reached in the fall have contributed.