With more than two years still to go, donors have moved West Virginia University within 11 percent of the $750 million goal of A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University.
The WVU Foundation announced today (July 24) that the campaign had raised $668.7 million through the fiscal year ended June 30. The campaign runs through December 2015.
“I am continuously overwhelmed by the pride and passion people have for our University, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart,” WVU President Jim Clements said. “This campaign means so much to the future of WVU, and the support we have received thus far has been incredible. We have excellent faculty, staff and students, and each gift helps us in some way pursue our goals as a flagship land-grant university.”
Donations to the campaign include endowed scholarships and fellowships for students, professorships, financial support for new learning facilities and enhancements for academic and athletic programs.
Recent major gifts include a $3.4 million donation from the estate of Dr. Pat Fehl to the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences; a significant donation to the Art Museum of WVU from emeritus professor of genetics Joginder Nath; and a large in-kind donation of music from Star Trek composer and alumnus Jay Chattaway.
“Thanks to the tremendous generosity of our alumni and friends, we are on track to exceed our goal,” said Foundation President and CEO Wayne King. “We’ve had a very positive response since we launched the public phase of the campaign a year ago, and fully expect that to continue through the end of the campaign.”
A State of Minds is the largest private fundraising campaign in WVU’s history. The $750 million goal is three times larger than the previous Building Greatness campaign from 1998-2003.
Fundraising focuses on six University-wide campaign priority areas that align with the University’s 2020 Strategic Plan for the Future:
- Enhance the undergraduate student experience and global education
- Advance the research initiative of the University
- Enable WVU to improve West Virginia’s health, economy and quality of life
- Foster faculty excellence
- Enhance WVU through professional and graduate education
- Support healthcare through research, education and patient care
Chairman of Putnam Investments and 1974 alumnus Robert Reynolds and Cadrillion Capital President Verl Purdy, a 1964 WVU graduate, are the national campaign co-chairmen; James (Buck) Harless is the national campaign honorary chairman.
A key component of this comprehensive campaign for WVU is the utilization of hundreds of volunteers. Along with a 23-member national volunteer committee, the campaign also has West Virginia and regional volunteer chairs. Each college and school has its own campaign committee with its chair also serving on the national committee.
Visit www.astateofminds.com for information on how you can help support the campaign.
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CONTACT: Bill Nevin; WVU Foundation
304-284-4056; wnevin@wvuf.org
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.