James H. Moore, U. of I. Foundation president since July 1, said there is much work to be done if the university is to meet its goal of doubling fundraising totals in the next decade.
Moore said he has been in “listening mode” since the start of his tenure and already sees several areas where systems and processes could be improved.
“Part of the road map is to advance the advancement model,” he told trustees at the July 23 board of trustees meeting. “To do that, you have to be working together.”
To that end, the foundation is replacing outdated data systems and will be making other technical upgrades. Moore said those systems are being tested in the run-up to the next fundraising campaign, which is set to coincide with the university’s sesquicentennial in 2017.
He said the foundation also is engaging with the campus chancellors and vice chancellors to ensure the developing fundraising agenda is in line with the university’s Strategic Plan.
To meet the ambitious and necessary fundraising goals, Moore said the foundation and the campuses are developing more effective modes of outreach for directly engaging alumni and other donors.
“We will need to engage donors in ways we haven’t before,” he said. “That’s one of the many things we’ll all be working on.”
Moore presented the recently finalized fundraising statistics for fiscal year 2015, which show an overall 11.3 percent increase in new business compared to last year.
The Urbana campus led the way with $219.3 million in new business, up 13.7 percent over last year and 4.4 percent above its goal.
Urbana also surpassed its cash goal of $175 million by raising $181.1 million. The goal for 2016 is $202 million.
Following the release of the statistics, Dan Peterson, the vice chancellor for institutional advancement and a senior vice president for the U. of I. Foundation, said that fundraising efforts are moving in the right direction.
“We have a strong working partnership with our colleagues at the foundation,” he said. “There has been an increased focus and discipline that everyone is bringing to the advancement enterprise, and it already is paying dividends.”
