University Foundation fundraising campaign phases into public stage

The Southeast Missouri State University Foundation launched a $40 million comprehensive campaign in order to support current and future students in 2010.

The campaign, "Honoring Tradition, Inspiring Success" is focused on growing scholarships, supporting programs such as University Speakers Series and contributing to general campus renovations.

President Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins announced at the Foundation's Annual Copper Dome Reception, held in conjunction with homecoming, that the campaign will shift from its quiet phase to its public phase.

"A quiet phase is part of a campaign that you go out and you try to secure your larger gifts early on and try to gain momentum toward your overall goal," Bill Holland, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the University Foundation, said.

The quiet phase of the campaign brought in $30 million, which is 75 percent of its overall goal.

"The work that goes on, whether you are in a quiet phase or a public phase is the same," Holland said. "You're engaging donors, you're trying to explain the purpose of your campaign and in this case, it's to increase scholarships and program support in order to help enhance the student experience."

Holland said that the point of a quiet phase is to make sure certain benchmarks are met before launching into a public phase.

"The key to a campaign is showing energy and a synergy to it so that it's not just two or three people doing this; it takes a large group," Holland said.

"The whole focus is, and Dr. Dobbins is really a visionary in this regard, he wants to make sure that people have access to higher education, and access means making it affordable and making it available -- that there are resources to help us with tuition costs, and the only way to do that is to grow your scholarship amounts."

The foundation gives out $1.2 million in scholarships every year.

"The idea here is that we want to grow, we want that to be $2 to $3 million in scholarships, so that students who have the desire can go apply for those scholarships," Holland said. "On a $6,500 tuition amount, $500 is a nice award, but $1,000 is better, $1,500 is better."

College costs are rising every year, so the foundation wants to keep the costs manageable for students.

"That $500 award, while always will be impactful, will not have the same impact that it has today," Holland said. "So we're planning for the future."

The campaign will not only help students on an individual basis but on a collective basis as well.

"We have goals. We want to raise $20 million for scholarships, $17 million for program support and then $3 million for general campus improvements," Holland said. "That $17 million component is for a speaker series and other endowments."

Holland said other endowments included international travel support for students and endowments like the Crader Lecture Series for Humanities.

"The Crader Lecture Series doesn't just benefit a single student. It benefits 400 students," Holland said.

Holland said that the campaign, while benefitting future students by reaching out to past students, also affects current students.

"Students need to know today that they need to be involved and maintain Southeast in their heart. I've yet to meet a student that's had a lousy experience here," Holland said. "I see wonderful excited faces when they walk across the stage, shake Dr. Dobbin's hand and receive their diploma. We want to maintain that love for this institution going forward. We need to have a sense of philanthropy instilled in students while they're here. That they say, 'You know, someday I'm going to give back.'"

Holland said he hopes that by announcing a public phase, other people will be encouraged to contribute.

"Participate. Stay connected either in time, talent or treasure," Holland said.