Indiana State University's March On! Raised $86.7 Million
Terre Haute – The Indiana State University Foundation announced today that the Board of Directors has officially concluded MARCH ON! The Campaign for Indiana State University with a total of $86.7 million in support of students, faculty, programs and facilities. The university’s first comprehensive campaign came to a close at the end of December.
“Exceeding the campaign goal has been a tremendous accomplishment for Indiana State,” Mike Alley president of the ISU board of trustees and chair of the national campaign committee said. “This is a wonderful and transformative time for the university.”
More than 18,000 ISU alumni and friends from around the country provided support to the university during the six-year March On! Campaign.
“The involvement of our alumni and friends in the campaign has been remarkable,” said Gene Crume, foundation president. “It has been inspiring to hear the stories of those for whom Indiana State has meant so much.”
Since the start of the campaign, the Foundation has experienced significant growth in annual cash support, including an 800 percent increase in online gifts.
Cash gifts accounted for nearly $65 million of the campaign goal.
“Another significant group of campaign donors has been the Indiana State community,” Crume said.
Twenty-nine percent of ISU faculty, staff and emeriti supported March On! through the annual Faculty and Staff Campaign. This participation rate is above the national average for comparable institutions, Crume said.
“As this group represents almost one-third of our faculty, staff and emeriti, this truly makes a statement about their institutional pride,” he said.
The funds raised during the MARCH ON! Campaign have supported all areas of the university and have created 250 new scholarships and funds to support students and the work of faculty. New scholarship funds range from one-time student awards, such as the Evelyn Reynolds Wible Nursing Scholarship for senior nursing majors, to renewable four-year scholarships, including four new named presidential scholarships.
The Mauri and Janice Modesitt Scholarship in the Bayh College of Education is just one of hundreds of scholarships established during the campaign. The endowed scholarship is aimed at increasing the number of male teachers and administrators in elementary schools.
“I’m concerned about the state of public education, and Janice and I would like to encourage young people to become mentors in elementary education,” Mauri Modesitt said. “We want to help make a difference, and this scholarship will help to do that.”
Modesitt, an Indiana State alumnus who retired following a 34-year education career, said children – and particularly younger children – need strong mentors and role models. The scholarship will benefit graduate students in educational leadership or who are preparing for a career in K-12 administration.
“We are at a point in our lives where we can do this, and Janice and I feel we owe back a portion of what was given to us,” he said.
This is the second endowment for the Modesitts. They also established a similar scholarship for nursing students in honor of Janice Modesitt’s 40-year nursing career.
“Donors have made all the difference in the world for the student experience,” Crume said.
MARCH ON! gifts in support of students accounted for 25 percent of total campaign support.
Support for university programs was another area that attracted a substantial amount of campaign funding. More than $33 million has funded ISU programs, including experiential learning opportunities, college priorities, Cunningham Memorial Library resources and intercollegiate athletics.
“The campaign’s support of our programmatic efforts gives the University an edge in advancing our strategic goals, especially those related to experiential learning. This is critically important during these challenging economic times. The impact of MARCH ON! will be felt by our students for many years to come,” Dr. Daniel J. Bradley, president of Indiana State University said.
Support of university facilities was another important component of the campaign, accounting for 25 percent of the total. This includes the largest individual gift in university history which named the Donald W. Scott College of Business, and support for the renovation of the Scott College’s new home, the Terre Haute Federal Building. The campaign has also helped fund improvements to other campus facilities, such as University Hall which houses the Bayh College of Education, Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium and the new McKee Nursing Center in Sandison Hall.
“Indiana State has enjoyed a great reputation as a teachers college, and through the campaign, our donors have been significant in advancing the Bayh College’s mission,” Brad Balch, dean of the Bayh College of Education said. “This building [University Hall] has been a wonderful asset in increasing our visibility as a national leader in educator preparation.”
The Student Recreation Center is one of the newest facilities that has been impacted by the campaign. Students, faculty and staff, as well as Wabash Valley residents, have visited the center more than 500,000 times since its opening in 2009. March ON! has provided and opportunity for donors to name significant spaces in the building in honor of former faculty and students.
“I truly appreciate having a new workout facility on campus,” Natalie Smailis, senior public relations major said. “Going to the Rec Center is something I look forward to as it is a hub for student life.”
Faculty support rounded out the campaign by providing funding for the teaching and development of Indiana State University professors. Commitments in this area have supported two endowed chairs in the Bayh College of Education and Scott College of Business among a variety of faculty initiatives.
In support of teaching, Millie Lemen, professor emerita of education, has established two funds in the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services.
The Dr. Mildred Lemen Faculty Excellence Award will recognize educators who go above and beyond expectations and their “job titles” and offer students opportunities to explore beyond the classroom. The Dr. Mildred Lemen Distinguished Speaker Fund will establish a speaker series for the college and promote faculty-student collaboration.
Lemen said her goal is to bring in “experts who would be able to direct students toward new disciplines within the college and inform them of new technologies, guiding them in new directions in health, nutrition, physical education or any other disciplines found in our departments.”
Ultimately, Lemen hopes the speaker series enables students and faculty to meet successful professionals that will stimulate their success by exposing them to professional opportunities.
“Campaigns sustain and inspire transformation, growth and success,” Crume said. “MARCH ON! has been a considerable part of the momentum at Indiana State and has helped to establish an enhanced culture of private philanthropy. This is driving us to look to the possibilities that can impact the university.”
The Foundation has already begun planning for “The First Second Campaign” in university, Crume said. He anticipates that the organization will take the next 12 months to establish the framework for the upcoming campaign.
The Foundation plans to celebrate the success of the just-concluded campaign with alumni and friends of the institution at the MARCH ON! Awards Celebration April 14 on the ISU campus at the Hulman Memorial Student Union.
“We cannot thank the volunteer leadership and generous donors enough,” Alley said. “The success of MARCH ON! would not have been possible without their dedication and support of Indiana State.”
Media Contact: Kim Bloch, Director of Communications, Indiana State University Foundation, 812-514-8486, kbloch@indstatefoundation.org