Fundraising goal surpassed
Just one year into a comprehensive campaign which continues until 2010, USU has already exceeded its $200 million goal, USU President Stan Albrecht announced at Founders Day March 8.
During his speech, Albrecht presented the total of $202.8 million having been given to the campaign so far. When the campaign went public a year ago, about $100 million had already been raised or the gifts were committed, Albrecht said. He was hopeful, but the generosity of those who have donated to the campaign has amazed him, he said.
“We knew that night (we made the campaign public) we’d set a goal that would stretch us, but we were optimistic,” Albrecht said.
After announcing the campaign, Albrecht said he and his committee visited 11 cities across the country to spread the news of USU’s first comprehensive campaign and to reconnect with alumni and meet new friends. This reconnecting could have been the key, as Albrecht said 11,475 of those who donated made their first gift to USU.
“One of the accomplishments to date of which we are most proud is the number of people who have donated-29,783,” Albrecht said.
While those who donate large gifts are often recognized, Albrecht said they make up only part of this group, which includes people working at the university who have a monthly deduction from their paycheck for the campaign. With the donations come many new endowments for scholarships, fellowships, endowment chairs and program endeavors.
Despite having met the goal more than two years earlier than the close of the campaign, Albrecht said it will continue. Most of the gifts so far have been for buildings and programs, Albrecht said. Now the focus of the campaign will have a slight shift.
“We intend to refocus slightly to give renewed attention to our endowment,” Albrecht said.
Growing the endowment will allow more scholarships to be given to students and hopefully retain those who leave due to financial strain, Albrecht said. New horizons have been discovered in the past year, and more will continue to be discovered, Albrecht said.
Many universities have done such campaigns, but Albrecht and his group have a spirit that’s catching, thus helping them out, said Paul Parkinson, Alumni Association president and master of ceremonies for the Founders Day celebration.
-alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu