University of Richmond's "Transforming Bright Minds" Campaign Tops $150 Million Mark
February 11, 2005
University of Richmond’s “Transforming Bright Minds” fundraising campaign has passed the $150 million mark towards its $200 million goal with three and a half years remaining, university officials announced.
Of the total $150.6 million committed to date, the university’s trustees have pledged $46.6 million, 37 individual donors each have pledged $1 million or more, and nearly $70 million has come from alumni, friends, foundations and corporations in the greater Richmond region. Leading the campaign’s local fundraising efforts are three of its co-chairs, Robert Burrus, Bobby Ukrop and Allison Weinstein.
“We are delighted by the enthusiastic response of donors to the campaign as momentum continues to develop on behalf of the university’s mission,” said Richmond’s president, William E. Cooper.
Since the campaign’s public launch on March 4, 2004, the university has received a number of major commitments benefiting the Gottwald Center for the Sciences, university museums, international education, social sciences, leadership studies, business school, library and athletics.
The campaign also has emphasized annual giving, with a goal of $5 million for the 2004-05 academic year. To date, the annual fund has received $3.2 million, an increase of 22 percent over the same time last year. Annual gifts support yearly expenses for student scholarships, curricular enhancements, library purchases, technology upgrades, student life programs and facilities improvements.
“We are working strategically to increase alumni giving,” said David Johnson, vice president for advancement. “This year, the number of alumni who have given, compared to the same time last year, has increased significantly.” A goal of 40 percent alumni participation by the end of the campaign is a priority, since the alumni giving percentage is weighted heavily in national rankings, especially as the university recently has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as among the nation’s premier liberal arts institutions, he added.