Forever Valpo Fundraising Campaign

[VUGrad1314]

Yeah if we have good practical things we need to upgrade (Dorms Athletic facilities for starters) now would be a great time to borrow while keeping the focus on the endowment drive with very little risk to the university because they are employing a long term strategy to finance short term projects. Begin construction when safe to do so of course.

[loschwitz]

The Forever Valpo campaign stands now at $249,520,753.   Less than $500,000 to go.

[M]

Day of giving is coming! Valpo is going to need all the support anyone can muster up. Should hit that goal very soon.

[VUGrad1314]

They should absolutely extend this campaign even after reaching their goal. I think endowment growth will really help ensure the long-term health of the university.

[vu84v2]

Or immediately start a new campaign, which focuses on sustaining the university through and beyond the crisis. Different parameters and a different message than the forever Valpo campaign.

[loschwitz]

Wouldn't it be better to extend  the goal of Forever Valpo to $300 million rather than start a brand new campaign?   There will certainly be another campaign in a few more years, but it takes a lot of time and effort to plan and launch an entirely new one.  If there is momentum for Forever Valpo, let's keep it going.

[usc4valpo]

Absolutely not. The $250M was well advertised and the Valpo community needs to celebrate this accomplishment. It's like having a runner completing a marathon and then asking him or her to run another 5 miles. A moving target of such an important mission loses significance.

You may want define an emergency fund or a new mission, but in a journey or project the celebration based on a defined, challenging goal is imperative.

[crusadermoe]

The campaign should just keep going until you inauguration of a new guy.  There's nothing to lose by adding a few million even it it only adds slowly without big new gifts.  Thus, Heckler can add to his 9-year total raised and maybe go 9.5."  It still won't last "forever..."

But enough calling it the ."biggest ever" as thought that had any meaning.  On a per year basis Harre raised $235 million in five years.  I know you guys are tired of hearing it, but that calcuates to $47 million per year as compared to less than $28 million per year.  It's in reality a big step backward during a 10-year period when the stock market tripled.

[usc4valpo]

No. If you increase the target during the campaign, which has gone on for awhile, then the campaign loses credibility. There needs to be a point where you need to breathe and say job well done. start something new or have an emergency fund, but altering the current campaign almost at the finish line it at the end lacks integrity and class.

[valpo95]

No. If you increase the target during the campaign, which has gone on for awhile, then the campaign loses credibility. There needs to be a point where you need to breathe and say job well done. start something new or have an emergency fund, but altering the current campaign almost at the finish line it at the end lacks integrity and class.

I am aware of other circumstances where targets have been increased after the campaign has started. However, this usually happens if the goal is exceeded (or is projected to be exceeded) much quicker than expected. Given that this current campaign is now in its fourth year, I would expect that there would be an announcement of an end date, with perhaps a push to exceed the goal of $250M. Then, there can be a celebration of the end of the campaign, recognition of additional gifts, and a bit of a down period before planning the next campaign. That doesn't mean the fundraising stops, just the public phase is over.

[vu72]

No. If you increase the target during the campaign, which has gone on for awhile, then the campaign loses credibility. There needs to be a point where you need to breathe and say job well done. start something new or have an emergency fund, but altering the current campaign almost at the finish line it at the end lacks integrity and class.

I am aware of other circumstances where targets have been increased after the campaign has started. However, this usually happens if the goal is exceeded (or is projected to be exceeded) much quicker than expected. Given that this current campaign is now in its fourth year, I would expect that there would be an announcement of an end date, with perhaps a push to exceed the goal of $250M. Then, there can be a celebration of the end of the campaign, recognition of additional gifts, and a bit of a down period before planning the next campaign. That doesn't mean the fundraising stops, just the public phase is over.

Clearly if the Day of Giving would have happened in March, the 250M would have been exceeded as we only need another 500k and the Day of Giving has raised about 725k each year.

[M]

Day of giving is coming...

[M]

Day of giving is on May 12! I think it's outstanding the entire Valpo family is going to be the ones to make this campaign hit its goal. If you're able, let's show some extra support for our university that day.

[valpopal]

Day of giving is coming! Valpo is going to need all the support anyone can muster up. Should hit that goal very soon.

[tweet]1264576209620553731[/tweet]

[vu72]

Day of giving is coming! Valpo is going to need all the support anyone can muster up. Should hit that goal very soon.

[tweet]1264576209620553731[/tweet]

A truly remarkable result!  I was thinking that the limited exposure on the Valpo site that day would certainly have less than a great result.  I was clearly wrong!  A record result!  Anyone who thinks that all small colleges think they are "special" have no idea what Valpo is all about.  Wonderful news and now we are over the 250M goal!

[valpo64]

I wonder if any of the gifts were dedicated to ARC updates.  I remember hearing  a few months ago that perhaps an announcement would be made in March regarding ARC improvements but nothing more was heard.  Even if funds have been dedicated to the ARC project, perhaps this would not be the best time to announce same.  Who knows...wishful thinking I guess.

[wh]

The United States just self-destructed economically in what seems like a nanosecond.  The stock market has tanked. Unemployment could reach Great Depression levels. We have representatives in government playing politics with the pace of recovery.  We have a national election in November that could put a stranglehold on future growth. The last thing people of means are thinking about right now is which charitable cause to donate large sums of cash.     

[vu72]

The stock market has tanked.

Don't jump off a bridge just yet.

Through last Friday, May 22, here are the Year to Date results:

Dow Jones Industrial Average:  -8.94%  2019: +22.3%

S & P 500:  -8.52%  2019: +28.9%

NASDAQ Composite:  +3.92%  2019:  35.3%

You'll be OK.

[78crusader]

You would think VU would be rushing to get out the news we have reached the $250 million fundraising goal (assuming the Day of Giving pushed us over the top).  I believe the $250 million represents the largest fundraising campaign of any Lutheran university in history. Making this announcement would be a most welcome piece of good PR for the University.

Paul

[vu72]

You would think VU would be rushing to get out the news we have reached the $250 million fundraising goal (assuming the Day of Giving pushed us over the top).  I believe the $250 million represents the largest fundraising campaign of any Lutheran university in history. Making this announcement would be a most welcome piece of good PR for the University.

Paul

Totally agree and clearly the Day of Giving put us over the top as we were only 500k short and the Day of Giving raised 750k.  My only guess is that they are working on another large gift which would make the accomplishment that much bigger rather than announcing "we barely made it"!

[M]

Probably not something to celebrate too much about since VU has payed off so many people, forced pay cuts on the remaining employees, and have cut contributing to retirement accounts.

[VUGrad1314]

It's so strange that we could be in this great big endowment drive and yet have these horrible financial issues. Are we going to survive?

[vu72]

Probably not something to celebrate too much about since VU has payed off so many people, forced pay cuts on the remaining employees, and have cut contributing to retirement accounts.

Not unlike any other financially responsible institution.  You forgot to mention that.

[M]

Didn't forget anything...IMO it'd look pretty bad to celebrate all the money you've raised when you're in the midst of cutting back. I know that's run me the wrong way if I were on the receiving end of one of these cuts.

[usc4valpo]

I think the fundraising and how you manage the budget are 2 different things. There are likely opportunities at Valpo, perhaps high salary middle management positions, to trim the fat.