Stepping Up: IU Raises Matching the Promise
Campaign Goal
November 2008
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
IU and IUF recently announced that the goal of the Matching the Promise campaign for IU Bloomington would be raised by $100 million, from $1 billion to $1.1 billion. That is a 10 percent increase when all around us employment, market returns, and consumer confidence are declining.
Why would we increase the goal in these economic times?
As we talked about raising the goal, President McRobbie, IUF Vice President and Campaign Director Tom Herbert, and I knew full well that this would be considered a bold move. We also recognized, as Michael McRobbie says, that IU must move forward with “relentless but responsible optimism.”
Higher education and Indiana University are drivers of the economic recovery at the state and national level. Demand for an IU education has never been greater; IU campuses are setting enrollment records. Demand for financial aid is increasing accordingly, and a centerpiece of the campaign is scholarship and fellowship support for undergraduate and graduate students. Of the $958 million raised since the campaign began in 2003, one-third has been committed for student support, significantly reducing the cost for students from low and middle income households.
We were further encouraged in our discussions by recognizing that the Matching the Promise campaign has maintained its momentum, even during the downturn of the past several months. Major—even transformative—gifts continue to be made. In the latter part of 2008, Mickey and Janie Maurer committed $35 million to the IU Maurer School of Law—Bloomington for scholarships, the Lilly Endowment gave $15 million for the Pervasive Technology Institute, and William R. Fry made a gift of $15 million for scholarships in the Kelley School of Business. Very recently, an anonymous donor made a $15 million gift for renovation of physical facilities and resources at the Kelley School that will transform the undergraduate educational experience.
And the campaign, which began in 2003, had already achieved 95 percent of its original goal.
We talked with the deans and development officers on the Bloomington campus, and we announced the decision at the IU Foundation Board of Directors meeting in Indianapolis on February 6. The board members enthusiastically concurred.
Our donors and volunteer leaders have stepped up. Indiana University and the Foundation are stepping up. It is not a time to stand still. This is a time to press on, to work harder, to do more for IU.
Eugene R. Tempel
President
Indiana University Foundation
