The University of Louisville is adding some zeros to the largest fundraising campaign in its history. The university鈥檚 Board of Trustees today approved upping the campaign’s previously announced $750,000,000 goal to $1 billion.
UofL President James Ramsey said he鈥檚 excited about the board鈥檚 support.
鈥淎 year ago our consultant recommended that our goal be $600 million,鈥 Ramsey said. 鈥淭oday we鈥檝e blown past $500 million and the Board of Trustees has again encouraged us to set an aggressive goal and continue to move our university forward.鈥
UofL officials kicked off the campaign鈥擟harting Our Course-The Campaign for Kentucky’s Premier Metropolitan Research University鈥攍ast November and have raised $518 million so far. The campaign was slated to end by June 2013 but will be extended to June 2014 in conjunction with the new billion-dollar goal.
The money raised will go toward student services, scholarships, research and retention of UofL鈥檚 outstanding faculty.
鈥淭here is still much to do to reach our goals,鈥 Ramsey said. 鈥淲e are, and will continue to be, challenged by tightening budgets and decreasing state support鈥攁 fact that makes this campaign that much more urgent.鈥
Chairmen for the campaign are Owsley Brown Frazier, UofL Board of Trustees chairman; Henry Heuser, UofL Board of Overseers chairman; and Chester Porter, UofL Foundation chairman.
To learn more about the campaign, see www.chartingourcourse.org or contact Keith Inman, vice president for university advancement, at 502-852-6924.