Northwestern alumni awarded more than $144,000 in grants, gifts, and academic enrichment awards for projects during the upcoming school year that range from $500 to $10,000. Some 36 programs were chosen from 60 proposed by staff, faculty, and student-initiated projects approved by faculty advisors.

“It’s not a lot of money, but we find so many of these special needs that no one else is funding,” said Janet Bilandic, who was involved in the selection process for the gifts last year. The group has given over $2.7 million to support programs outside of university budgets.

The gifts awarded this year by the Academic Enrichment Endowment include a gala for music theater composer and NU alum Sheldon Harnic and an interdisciplinary “global city” conference in Evanston featuring students from foreign cities.

“The main point of the gifts is to bring someone from the outside to benefit the student body,” said Bilandic.

Other grants will fund costume rentals for music theater production “Dangerous Beauty,” equipment for Northwestern News Network, and a forthcoming Block Museum exhibit of drawings on loan from Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain.