$701 mil raised at campaign midpoint

Rick Nahm, vice president for development, will breathe a sigh a relief and cross his fingers tomorrow as the second half of the University's $1 billion fundraising effort begins. The two-year-old campaign is six months ahead of schedule, having raised $701 million, Nahm said this week. The campaign passed the halfway point in dollars raised during the summer of 1990 and has been ahead of schedule throughout the last year, despite the Persian Gulf War, the recession and a change in a tax law. "The way we see it," Nahm said, "the worst time was that six-month period and we were really able to tread water." The fundraising effort, which began in October 1989, is one of the most ambitious campaigns undertaken by a university. Only a handful of other universities have set higher goals in the last two years. "The party is a low-key event," Nahm said. "We don't want to be spending the money we are raising. We are very careful about that." If the campaign continues at the same rate, Nahm said the fundraising could be complete in the summer of 1994. The campaign's most recent good news was an announcement at a dinner last weekend in honor of outgoing Nursing Dean Claire Fagin. The dinner raised $90,000 for the Nursing Leadership Venture Fund, nearing its goal of $1.25 million to establish an endowed chair. The Nursing chair is the 100th endowed professorship of the campaign. Nahm said the first chair of the drive was also in nursing. "All five of our priorities are on target," Nahm said. "[They are all] at least 65 percent of the way towards our goal." The five components of the campaign are endowed professorships, undergraduate education, research, financial aid and minority permanence. Financial aid is closest to meeting its goal. Nahm said 78 percent of the $85 million aid goal has been met. "We are getting more and more optimistic about financial aid fundraising," Nahm said. The second half of the campaign will focus on raising money for the Revlon Campus Center. Nahm said his office has not decided exactly how much money to seek for each room or public space in the center. Donors will be honored with plaques in the area which they pay for. "We are going to try not to have signs everywhere," Nahm said. "We will try to do it discreetly." Among other projects being heavily pushed are the Law School building, which is currently under construction, and the controversial Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, which is scheduled to be built where Smith Hall currently stands. The fundraisers hope to solicit at least one gift of $5 million between now and January, Nahm said. And while fundraisers are approaching various people, Nahm said there are currently no large donations in the works. "There is no donor who is ready to sign at this point on the dotted line," Nahm said.

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