The ideas became “For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign.”
The IU Foundation launched its new campaign Saturday at a donor event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. With a goal of $2.5 billion by December 2019, this campaign is the largest and first-ever University-wide philanthropic campaign in IU history.
The campaign will focus on four goals: enabling student success and support, creating the next generation of global leaders, discovering ideas that change the way we live and creating a healthier state, nation and world.
Smith said the biggest goal is making IU financially accessible for all students.
“We want to make sure that Indiana University remains affordable for students for the next hundred years just as it has been for the last 200 years,” Smith said. “So, that’s, I would say, the biggest thing — that (the campaign) means — is this continued accessibility to one of the greatest educational experiences anywhere in the world.”
Jeff Lindauer, vice president and managing director of capital campaigns, said students receive benefits from financial support from donors every day.
“Even those students who don’t receive direct financial support such as scholarships benefit when they attend class in a new building, use cutting-edge technologies, learn from the best and brightest faculty and more,” Lindauer said.
Most fundraising comes from academic units. To help these units fundraise, Smith said the foundation helps them identify prospective donors.
“We’re providing a lot of marketing support in the
way of marketing materials, and we’re also providing funding to help support travel and direct travel expenses as those schools go out and try to raise money,” Smith said.
Another way the IU Foundation is trying to reach the $2.5 billion goal is through its team of regional advancement officers, who are pursuing various opportunities of support in different regions of the country.
As campaign director, Lindauer’s job is to coordinate the different aspects of the campaign to maximize the fundraising success. Lindauer said coordination involves working with IU Foundation members and IU communities.
“Our donors and potential donors are located throughout the United States and around the world,” Lindauer said. “It truly is a campaign for all.”
The IU Foundation’s job is to inform alumni and friends about the campaign and work with them to determine how their philanthropic priorities can be met by supporting IU, Lindauer said.
Lindauer said some donors want to ensure a bright student can graduate without a mountain of debt. Some want to promote research in a specific field. Some want to find a cure or treatment for a certain disease or help solve a problem to make the world better.
“Indiana University does all of these things, and private gifts from our alumni and friends can help make it happen,” Lindauer said.
Lindauer said a gift to IU can improve lives everywhere.
“The impact of giving reaches beyond our campuses, as IU alumni are our teachers, our doctors and dentists, our lawyers and run businesses that help the economy in communities throughout the state, nation and world,” Lindauer said.
