University of Illinois Brilliant Futures Campaign Edges Past Half‑way Point of $2.25 Billion Goal

One of the largest fund drives in higher education and the largest in the University of Illinois’s 140‑year history has passed the halfway point in gift commitments as of August 31, 2007.

The University of Illinois’s Brilliant Futures Campaign has reached $1,165,195,725 toward its goal of $2.25 billion. The campaign began on July 1, 2003 and will conclude December 31, 2011. The campaign counts outright gifts, grants and pledges to the University as well as deferred gifts commitments. Of the $1.165 billion raised to date nearly $774 million were outright gift commitments and over $391 million were in deferred gift arrangements.

As of August 31, nearly $834 million had been designated by donors for the Urbana‑Champaign campus, over $285 million for the Chicago campus, more than $14 million for the Springfield campus and over $31.8 million for U of I Foundation and University Administration purposes.

Thus far, almost 24 percent of the giving or $490 million comes from alumni with another 11 percent or $125.8 million coming from non‑alumni; 19 percent or over $225 million comes from corporations and businesses and the balance has been received from foundations and associations.

Of the total $2.25 billion Brilliant Futures Campaign, $1.5 billion is the goal for the Urbana‑Champaign campus; $650 million is for the Chicago campus and $28 million is for the Springfield campus. The combined goal for University administration and the U of I Foundation is $72 million. The funding goals were determined by the chancellors at each of the three campuses according to priorities identified in a University‑wide strategic planning process initiated by University President B. Joseph White in 2005.

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.

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 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 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.