Purdue 'Ever True' campaign surpasses $1B mark

January 14, 2016  


Purdue Bell Tower

The Purdue Bell Tower was lit in gold to commemorate the “Ever True” campaign surpassing $1 billion in contributions. (Purdue University photo/Mark Simons)
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University’s “Ever True” fundraising campaign surpassed $1 billion in contributions from alumni, corporations, foundations and friends as calendar year 2015 came to a close. As of December 31, $1,003,583,309 has been committed toward the $2.019 billion goal. To mark the milestone, the Purdue Bell Tower, the symbol of the campaign, was lit in gold.

The announcement comes three months after the public phase of “Ever True: The Campaign for Purdue University” began on Oct. 9. The silent phase began on July 1, 2012, and $910 million had been raised by the time of the public launch.

Focusing on three overarching priorities - Place Students First, Build on Our Strengths and Champion Research and Innovation - the campaign has raised $191.6 million for student support, which includes the university’s affordability initiative; $156.2 million for faculty support; $310.1 million for academic programs and projects; $143.9 million for physical infrastructure; and $201.9 million in unrestricted funds.

“The Purdue family has shown incredible generosity toward the university and this campaign,” said Amy Noah, vice president for development, Purdue Research Foundation. “It’s because of ever true Boilermakers - alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends - that Purdue is able to deliver impact, transform lives and keep higher education affordable. We are profoundly grateful.”

The $1.003 billion total includes a record-setting fiscal year 2014-15, which saw $343.4 million raised from more than 76,000 donors. Spanning that year and the current fiscal year, the Purdue Affordability Scholarship Challenge, which offers a 1:1 match for gifts, has raised $6.2 million and created 60 new endowed undergraduate scholarships for academic programs across the university, bringing comprehensive and permanent benefits to students.

Thus far, 134,801 donors from 69 countries - 37,927 (or 28 percent) of them first-time donors - have given during the campaign, achieving a range of impact:

* Improving human and animal health. Joy Matson renovated and sold a West Lafayette residence, contributing the resulting profit to the Purdue Center for Cancer Research and College of Veterinary Medicine (http://giving.purdue.edu/s/1461/campaign/start.aspx?sid=1461&gid=1010&pgid=3201).

* Advancing the arts. Janet and John Nine gave a Steinway D concert grand piano to Purdue’s Hall of Music. John is a 1963 alumnus of the College of Pharmacy (http://purdue.edu/evertrue/impact/nine).

* Building Purdue’s international reach. Venu Srinivasan, a 1977 alumnus with a master’s degree in management, pledged $150,000 to fund scholarships for Indian students (http://giving.purdue.edu/s/1461/campaign/start.aspx?sid=1461&gid=1010&pgid=3578).

* Developing leaders. The Purdue Engineering Student Council pledged a significant gift to endow the Purdue Engineering Student Leadership Scholarship (http://giving.purdue.edu/s/1461/campaign/start.aspx?sid=1461&gid=1010&pgid=3567).

* Strengthening a top engineering program. Jim Cure, a 1975 civil engineering alumnus, his wife Carol and the Cure Family Foundation gave $2 million to the Lyles School of Civil Engineering to fund merit scholarships and a named professorship (http://purdue.edu/evertrue/impact/cure).

* Building champions. Five Purdue football alumni and their families pledged $12.1 million toward a new football performance complex: Drew and Brittany Brees; Sandy Dauch, in memory of her husband Dick Dauch; Doug and Maria DeVos; Bob and Amy Martin; and Tom and Joy Spurgeon (http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121915aab.html).

More than $198.6 million (20 percent of the total raised to date) has been committed to Purdue endowments, which are specifically designated for scholarships, faculty recruitment and support, and academic programs.

Campaign initiatives for 2016 include the launch of Purdue Pay It Forward, a student-run campaign to encourage students to give in honor of teachers, staff or others who have made a positive impact on their Purdue experience; a parent and family mini-campaign; and a mini-campaign for international alumni and friends of Purdue.

For more information on Purdue’s “Ever True” campaign, visit http://www.purdue.edu/evertrue/

Source: Amy Noah, 765-494-1704, arnoah@prf.org 

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