Fundraising campaign nears final goal

Truman's Bright Minds Bright Futures campaign had raised 92 percent of its $30 million goal, or approximately  $27.8 million.  

The Bright Minds Bright Futures campaign is entering the last four months of its 60-month-long campaign and are increasing their efforts to reach the final goal.

"So far, this fiscal year has been the second-best year of the campaign, and we still have four months to go," said Mark Gambaiana, vice president of University advancement.

Approximately $6.1 million has been added to the campaign total during the first eight months of this fiscal year, making July to December the most productive six-month period in the campaign so far, Gambaiana said.

One of the strategies for reaching the final goal is to find out gift decisions from various alumni and friends.

Gift requests were presented by Gambaiana, University President Troy Paino and others to alumni and they now are following up with those alumni and friends who have been uncertain.

"There are 30 individuals we are getting back in touch with on the major gift front," Gambaiana said. "There is approximately $5 million in requests on the table."

Another method of support involves the annual fund campaign, as all money raised goes to the Bright Minds Bright Futures campaign.

Of the 17,867 total gifts to the campaign, 11,801 have been alumni gifts, which means 23 percent of the Truman alumni base has made a contribution, Gambaiana said.

The majority of those have been smaller, although just as important, donations through the annual fund campaign, Gambaiana said.

"Last fiscal year the annual fund campaign raised $940,660 dollars," Kollar said.

A large part of this annual campaign is reaching out to alumni and friends through the tel-alumni program and direct mail appeals.

Kollar said the tel-alumni program has been tweaked to become a more effective process and to make sure alumni know their donations are appreciated.

"We try and match our tel-alumni callers with our alumni, a business major with a business alum," Kollar said. "This makes it more of a conversation."

A large percent of the callers also are recipients of scholarships the Bright Minds Bright Futures program has helped create, Kollar said.

Gambaiana said in the Foundation's history, they have had a total of 575 funds that have been established and 30 percent of those, or 175 funds, have been within the last 56 months under the Bright Minds Bright Futures campaign.

Athletic appeals to alumni also have also been made more specific and an increase in athletic funds has been seen, Kollar said.

Gambaiana said the Bright Minds Bright Futures campaign has four priorities: scholarships, student enrichment and academic program support, faculty support and athletics.

"Scholarships are front and center in this program," Gambaiana said. "Around 50 cents on every charitable dollar has gone to scholarships."

Gambaiana said approximately $13 million of the total raised this far has gone to scholarships, which is 47 percent of the total.

The amount of Foundation dollars that will benefit students will be increasing as a result of this campaign, which concludes at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2011.

Budget Director David Rector said as state funding decreases, he expects that fundraising campaigns like Bright Minds Bright Futures will become more common.

"This is the first ever comprehensive campaign in the University's history and we know we are going to have a number two," Gambaiana said. "It is premature at this point to say how much or how long, but we know the dollar amount will probably be more. We will strive to shoot higher."