The University of Missouri is on pace for a record-setting year of fundraising, administrators in advancement say.
The office has raised a record $88.3 million in the first six months of fiscal 2014, surpassing the previous record of $82.3 million raised in the same six-month period of fiscal 2013.
With a goal of raising $150 million for the entire fiscal year, MU is on track to exceed a record amount of fundraising for a single year.
“Right now, Mizzou is all about progress,” said Tom Hiles, MU vice chancellor for advancement. “We have a wonderful new chancellor and a great team of advancement professionals in place. It’s an exciting time to work with donors and alumni who care so deeply about Mizzou.
“I am honored to work with a great university and the Mizzou community,” he continued, “and I’m even more appreciative of the generous alumni and friends who support the University of Missouri.”
The goals of the One Mizzou campaign, still in planning stages, are to support MU’s people, programs and places with private philanthropy.
Private investment in the university helps change students’ lives by funding new scholarships and academic programs; alleviating national and global challenges such as obesity and the need for sustainable energy sources by supporting research in MU laboratories; establishing cutting-edge learning environments by funding new teaching technologies; and building MU’s endowment to provide resources for the future.
“We are grateful to our many alumni who make giving back to Mizzou a priority,” Hiles said. “Major gifts really help us move the needle on our fundraising goals. Perhaps more important, they inspire other MU alumni to invest in Mizzou.”
Recent major gifts include:
- $1 million from Molly Bean Phelps, for the Missouri School of Journalism
- $1 million from Betty Francis for scholarships
- $1 million from a confidential donor for scholarships for veterans
- $1.57 million from Chuck Wall for the MU School of Law
- $14 million in confidential gifts for several schools
- $6.7 million from Jon Murray for the Missouri School of Journalism
— Nathan Hurst