Pacific University recently launched a new fundraising campaign titled Lead On: The Campaign for Tomorrow at Pacific University. This fundraising campaign is an opportunity for donors to make their mark on the future of Pacific according to President Lesley Hallick. As of Nov. 30, the campaign has raised just over $46 million.
The goal of the program is to ultimately meet or exceed their goal of $80 million by 2020. Since they have raised half of their intended $80 million, the campaign is now going public.
“That’s when you begin the public phase of the campaign, when you’re halfway to your goal,” Hallick said. “We will start being externally more visible in the public phase of the campaign. We start having meetings in different cities and we begin to appeal to alumni all over the country.”
According to the Associate Vice President for University Advancement, Jan Stricklin, Pacific has been in what is known as the leadership or ‘quiet’ phase of the Lead On campaign since 2009.
“This is the period when institutions raise 50-70 percent of the goal,” Stricklin said. “These gifts are typically major gifts from major donors. Having met this level, we are ready to reach out to the entire Pacific community of alumni, parents and friends and invite them to join us.”
There are three major priorities for the Lead On campaign, which include Endowment, Counting Investment for a Boundless Future and Learning Environments and Resources. Endowments are permanent funds. The university uses only the earnings each year and are primarily for student scholarships but can be used in other programs according to Hallick.
“The endowment can be for anything the donor wants to fund of the programs we offer at Pacific,” Hallick said. “We have such a need for help with financial aid, so we can use that money for a student who is in one of those programs and immediately put it to use.”
Hallick said that Pacific discounts tuition heavily, which is considered forgone revenue to the university. Anytime that turns into a funded scholarship through endowment it is not forgone revenue and is actual cash for the university. The Counting Investment for a Boundless Future is a priority for University Advancement, which includes a variety of different things.
“This encompasses a wide range of gifts,” Stricklin said. “Gifts to the excellence funds, Boxer Club and Athletics, annual scholarships, grants and gifts for things like equipment, art and books.”
The Learning Environments and Resources priority of the Lead On campaign includes expansion of the Stoller Center, science facilities, adding a third building on the Hillsboro campus and several other projects.
“When it comes to facilities, we always have priorities,” Hallick said. “Revamping our science facilities will definitely be a priority. This includes taking some of the older facilities in the sciences and creating a new science building, such as eliminating Murdoc and replacing it with a newer building.”
Hallick also mentioned that adding a third building in Hillsboro would be a priority. The new building will be the new home for Pacific’s optometry program and allow more space for the College of Arts and Sciences on the Forest Grove Campus. The least expensive of the three priorities for Pacific facilities is the expansion of the Stoller Center, which would include expanding the exercise science facility, the recreational center, coach’s rooms and locker rooms.
The university will continue to work toward the goal of $80 million, as well as reaching a total endowment of $100 million by 2020.
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