Tom Hiles
Officials announced Tuesday that MU has set a single-year record for fundraising.
The MU advancement team and the university community have raised a record $164.5 million in fiscal 2014, surpassing the previous record of $160.5 million raised in 2008.
The total surpasses MU’s goal of $150 million for the fiscal year.
“We are so appreciative of the generous support of our alumni and friends,” said Tom Hiles, vice chancellor for advancement at MU. “It demonstrates their commitment to sustaining and advancing the university.
Hiles also thanked his advancement staff. “We have set a great precedent for future fundraising,” he said. The One Mizzou campaign is scheduled to kick off publicly in 2015–16 and conclude in 2020–21. Its goal is to raise more than $1 billion.
The fiscal 2014 achievement is all the more remarkable in that the total was reached without the eight-figure gifts of past years.
MU received individual $30 million gifts in each of the previous two years: one from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to the School of Journalism in fiscal year 2013 and one from the Kansas City Sports Trust to Intercollegiate Athletics in fiscal 2012.
“Private philanthropy and fundraising are vital to the educational and research missions of the university, helping us support student scholarships and attracting and retaining top-notch teachers and researchers,” Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said.
“The MU advancement team has done a phenomenal job this year in surpassing our fundraising goals. We have set a great precedent for future fundraising as we prepare to move into our new campaign.”
Richard Miller, tri-chair of the One Mizzou comprehensive fundraising campaign, said the accomplishment is all the more important because it happens at a time of reduced state funding to higher education. Universities are looking more toward private philanthropy and fundraising to be meet operating budget costs.
“This is a major accomplishment and provides much needed support for MU students, programs, facilities and faculty,” Miller said.
“As the university moves toward its next major comprehensive campaign, this record is both timely and a positive step for the future.”
Gifts and endowments to MU fund scholarships and academic programs; support MU reserach on obesity, cancer, autism and other subjects; establish cutting-edge learning environments by funding new teaching technologies; and poise MU to continue to be successful in the future.
Recent major gifts to MU include:
$1 million from a confidential donor for scholaships for veterans
$1.1 million from Lowell Miller for the Department of Biochemistry
$1.57 million from Chuck Wall for the School of Law
$2.5 million from Gary and Barbara Stampfli-Savill for the College of Veterinary Medicine
$6.7 million from Jon Murray for the Missouri School of Journalism
