The UI closed out its most ambitious fundraising campaign with gifts, commitments and pledges of nearly $2.43 billion. That is $179.6 million (8 percent) more than the announced goal of $2.25 billion. The Brilliant Futures campaign ran from July 1, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2011.
Donors designated $1.7 billion for the Urbana-Champaign campus, $675.9 million for the Chicago campus, $28.7 million for Springfield and $54 million for the UI Foundation and university administration. The funds support many areas, including student scholarships and fellowships, faculty support, academic programs, facilities and research.
The Urbana campus surpassed its $1.5 billion goal by more than $171 million. The $1.7 billion total is $141 million more than what all three campuses together raised during the last campaign, completed in 2000. UIC raised more than $675.9 million toward its $650 million goal, more than double what it raised ($336 million) in the last campaign. UIS was credited with raising more than $700,000 over its $28 million goal. During the last campaign, UIS’s total was $15 million.
“Completing the Brilliant Futures Campaign is a huge accomplishment for the university,” said Sidney S. Micek, the president of the UI Foundation. “When we launched the campaign, we talked about the ripple effect: how each gift will impact others. I think we accomplished that. We intentionally established a stretch goal because we wanted to challenge not only alumni, donors and friends of the university, but also the faculty, deans, university and campus leadership, and the fundraising staff of the Foundation and the university. It is an incredible accomplishment that each campus exceeded its target goal.”
More than 242,000 donors gave during the 8 -year campaign. Three hundred ninety-seven donors made pledges and commitments of $1 million or more that totaled more than $1.449 billion. Twenty-six donors made gift commitments of $10 million or more that totaled more than $585 million.
Of the $2.4 billion raised, $1.7 billion was in the form of outright commitments and $778.3 million is in deferred gift arrangements, $1.5 billion has been designated for current use and $952.8 million is designated for endowments, $1.4 billion is from individuals and $991.3 million is from corporations/foundations/associations.
The Brilliant Futures Campaign was one of the most ambitious in the history of higher education. There have been approximately 20 capital campaigns with a goal of more than $2 billion in higher education.
This was the third comprehensive capital campaign for the UI.
Fundraising at Illinois
- Brilliant Futures (2003-2011) $2.43 billion raised (goal: $2.25 billion)
- Campaign Illinois (1991-2000) $1.53 billion raised (goal: $1 billion)
- Campaign for Illinois (1979-1984) $132 million raised (goal: $100 million)
