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Campaign exceeds $150 million in commitments
The University’s Transforming Bright Minds campaign has exceeded the $150 million mark, campaign officials announced. Of the total committed to the campaign as of Jan. 12, 2005, University trustees have committed $46.6 million. A total of 37 donors have each made commitments of $1 million or more. The campaign total has reached 75 percent of its $200 million goal with three and a half years remaining. “We are delighted by the enthusiastic response of donors to the campaign as momentum continues to develop on behalf of the University’s mission,” noted President Bill Cooper. An essential part of the campaign, the annual giving program has a 2004–05 goal of $5 million. To date, the University has received $3.2 million, an increase of 22 percent over the same time last year. Annual gifts support yearly expenses for scholarships, curricular enhancements, library purchases, technology upgrades, student life programs and facilities improvements. “We are working strategically to increase alumni giving,” said Laura Doherty, director of annual programs. “This year the number of alumni who have given, compared to the same time last year, has increased significantly.” A goal of reaching 40 percent alumni participation by the end of the campaign is a priority since alumni giving percentage is weighted heavily in national rankings, as well as by foundations and corporations when awarding grants, she added. As of Jan. 12, 5,082 alumni have made gifts to the University for 2004–05, compared to 4,736 last year. Year-to-date parent donors have increased 56 percent, from 574 to 893. |
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