Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

UI, UI Foundation announce fundraising totals at annual meeting

Brilliant Futures campaign moves closer to $2.25 billion goal

As of Aug. 31, 2009, the UI’s Brilliant Futures campaign, the largest in the school’s 142-year history, had passed the $1.707 billion mark toward its $2.25 billion goal.

The campaign, which began on July 1, 2003, and will conclude Dec. 31, 2011, counts outright gifts, grants and pledges to the university as well as deferred commitments. Of the money raised to date, $1.182 billion was in outright commitments and $524.5 million was in deferred gift arrangements. A total of $990.1 million has been designated for current use and $716.6 million has been designated for endowments.

“Everybody associated with the University of Illinois and its three campuses is most pleased with the progress we have made to date with the Brilliant Futures campaign,” said foundation President Sidney S. Micek. “In this tough economic climate, we are most fortunate to have such supportive alumni and friends of the university.”

As of Aug. 31, 2009, $1.211 billion had been designated by donors for the Urbana campus, $432 million for UIC, $21.5 million for UIS and $41.9 for foundation and university administration purposes. The funds are used in many areas, including student scholarships and fellowships, faculty support, academic programs, facilities and research.

Nearly $665 million of the total raised has come from alumni of the university, with another $214 million from non-alumni. Corporations and businesses have contributed $338 million and $319 million from foundations.

Of the $2.25 billion Brilliant Futures campaign goal, $1.5 billion is for the Urbana campus. The goal for the Chicago campus is $650 million; the Springfield campus mark is $28 million. The combined goal for university administration and the foundation is $72 million.

Major fundraising in UI History

  • The initial fundraising endeavor, Campaign for Illinois, exceeded its $100 million goal by raising $137 million between 1979 and 1985.
  • The second effort, Campaign Illinois, began in 1991 with a goal of $1 billion. When that campaign closed on Dec. 31, 2000, gifts totaled $1.53 billion, making it one of the largest fundraising efforts conducted by a public university at that time.
  • Brilliant Futures, the third comprehensive capital campaign for the UI, has a campaign goal of $2.25 billion. The campaign will conclude Dec. 31, 2011.

FY09 sets record for UI and UI Foundation giving

The UI and the UI Foundation had a record-setting year for private gifts received for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2009, raising $221.4 million, according to Walter Knorr, UI chief financial officer and treasurer of the UI Foundation.

The previous high for gifts received was $219.6 million in FY02. FY09 was the second consecutive year – and only the third year ever – that the university and foundation passed the $200 million mark in gifts received.

Total private giving increased 3.5 percent over the previous year. A total of $58.8 million was designated to the UI directly and $162.6 was contributed through the foundation.

Knorr made the announcement at the foundation’s 74th annual meeting, Oct. 2, to about 500 elected foundation members and members of the Presidents Council and Chancellor’s Circle.

“Our donors have been terrific,” Knorr said. “It’s indeed gratifying that during one of the most challenging economic periods in decades, the foundation experienced record-setting giving.”

“The entire University of Illinois family is most humbled by the fabulous year we just concluded,” said Sidney S. Micek, the president of the foundation. “Our alumni and friends continue to recognize and cherish their experience from when they attended one of our three campuses. That is what makes this such a special place.”

The gifts:

  • Alumni: $69.7 (31 percent)
  • Friends: $28.9 (13 percent)
  • Corporations: $55.2 (25 percent)
  • Foundations: $37.6 (17 percent)
  • Associations: $30.0 (14 percent)

The $221.4 million in gifts received provided support for a number of initiatives across the campuses at Urbana, Chicago and Springfield, including various academic units and programs; research; buildings and equipment; faculty/staff support; public service and extension; athletics; and student financial aid.

This past year $49.7 million was raised for research initiatives, $27.3 million for student scholarships and support, $15.6 million for faculty support, $11 million for facilities and nearly $5 million for the university libraries.

Of the $221.4 million raised last year, 71 percent ($156.8 million) was designated for current uses funds. These funds are intended to be used during the current fiscal year. Also, $58.6 million was designated for the endowment.

The active endowment of both the university and the foundation represents $1,176.5 billion as of June 30, 2009, or 62 percent of the total endowment of $1.899 billion. Also included in the UI endowment is $589.6 million designated as revocable deferred gifts known to the UI and foundation. Another $132.9 million of the endowment is in charitable trusts and other irrevocable deferred gifts held by the foundation and others. The combined UI and UIF endowment dropped 21 percent during FY09.

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