Urbana‑Champaign Campus Seeks $1.5 Billion in Capital Campaign

The Urbana‑Champaign campus plans to use Campaign funds to cultivate leaders for the 21st century, provide excellence in academic programs, encourage breakthrough knowledge and innovation, create transformative learning environments and ensure that the best and brightest students have access to the Illinois experience.

“Increased private support will allow us to fulfill our historic land‑grant mission of providing the students of today with an excellent education so they may become the researchers, scholars, teachers and leaders of tomorrow,” said Richard Herman, chancellor of the Urbana‑Champaign campus.

Urbana-Champaign Campus Campaign Goals

Campaign objectives and gift purposes of the total $1.5 billion goal sought for the Champaign‑Urbana campus include $175 million for undergraduate scholarships; $135 million for graduate student fellowships; $300 million for endowed chairs and professorships; $525 million for program support and research; and $365 million for campus environment (facilities, equipment, library materials, works of art, and so forth).

At tonight’s launch event, alumna Jane Phillips Donaldson spoke about the reasons she supports the James Newton Matthews Scholars and Illinois Leadership programs.

“When it came time for me to choose a university, I knew it would be Illinois,” Donaldson said. “But as one of four children, it was important to me and my family when I found out that I would receive a scholarship.”

Jared Marchiando, a Business major and recipient of the Myron S. Sigale Memorial Matthews Scholarship, is already planning to support future students. “After I graduate, I will support a student whos full of potential and who might not get to go to college without a scholarship,” Marchiando said.

Chicago and Springfield Campuses Outline Campaign Funding Priorities

Campaign funds for the Chicago campus will help UIC focus on combining an urban university with the resources of a leading research institution to advance the creation and sharing of knowledge, enrich student experiences, expand the Great Cities Commitment, promote healthy societies and increase access to academic excellence.

“The Brilliant Futures Campaign will help us realize our strategic vision of becoming the nations premier urban public research university and our mission of providing cutting‑edge research, knowledge‑based public service and outstanding health care,” said UIC Chancellor Sylvia Manning.

The Springfield campus, now an accredited four‑year institution, will utilize Campaign funds to offer innovative, high‑quality liberal arts education, public affairs activities and professional programs.

“The funds we receive through The Brilliant Futures Campaign will enable UIS to achieve our goal of being recognized as one of the top five small public liberal arts universities in the nation,” said UIS Chancellor Richard Ringeisen.

Volunteer Leadership Benefits Campaign

The Development Committee of the U of I Foundation’s Board of Directors is functioning as the University‑wide Executive Steering Committee for the Brilliant Futures Campaign. Chair of the committee is former insurance industry executive James M. Benson, now president and CEO of Clark Benson LLC.

To ensure that campus‑level fundraising is addressed within the scope of the overall Campaign, a campaign steering committee also exists for each campus and the co‑chairs of those committees serve on the Campaign Executive Steering Committee.

Urbana-Champaign Campaign Steering Committee

The Urbana‑Champaign Campaign is led by co‑chairs Jane Phillips Donaldson, partner and co‑founder, Phillips Oppenheim; Shahid R. Khan, president, Flex‑N‑Gate Corporation; and Roger L. Plummer, president, Plummer and Associates Consulting.

Members of the Committee include Doris K. Christopher, founder and chairman, The Pampered Chef; Richard G. Cline, chairman, Hawthorne Investors, Inc.; Roxanne J. Decyk, international directorate, Royal Dutch Shell PLC; Alan D. Feldman, chairman, president and CEO, Midas Incorporated; Edward L. McMillan, owner and CEO, McMillan LLC; Steven L. Miller, chairman and president, SLM Discovery Ventures Inc.; Anthony J. Petullo, president and founder, Anthony Petullo Foundation; Edward B. Rust, Jr., chairman and CEO, State Farm Insurance Companies; Orion C. Samuelson, agricultural services director, WGN Radio/TV; and Thomas M. Siebel, chairman, First Virtual Group, Inc.

“All of these engaged volunteer leaders lend significant expertise and resources in accomplishing the University’s vision of creating brilliant futures for all people whose lives are touched by its work,” said Benson. “Overall, the involvement of alumni and supporters as volunteers in our classrooms and behind the scenes has been incredible and we are grateful for this important partnership,” he added.

The Brilliant Futures Campaign is the third comprehensive capital campaign for the University of Illinois. The initial fundraising endeavor, Campaign for Illinois, exceeded its $100 million goal by raising $137 million between 1979 and 1985. The second effort, Campaign Illinois, was launched in 1991 with a goal of $1 billion. When the campaign closed on Dec. 31, 2000, gifts totaled $1.53 billion, making it one of the largest fundraising efforts conducted by a public university at that time.