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February 29, 2012
The OSU Monthly Campaign Update tracks progress toward our $1 billion campaign goal, celebrates successes along the way, and, above all, showcases the impact philanthropy makes on OSU students, the state of Oregon, and our world.
Monthly Highlights
Over $6.4 million was added to The Campaign for OSU in the 29 days of February 2012, bringing the total to $794 million. Learn more about campaign progress.
Propelled by an outpouring of support from more than 60,000 households, OSU has raised the goal of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign to $1 billion. Through the unanimous vote of the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees, the historic Campaign for OSU will continue through 2014, increasing support for Oregon State students, faculty, and programs.
Setting a billion-dollar goal places Oregon State in remarkable company: only 29 of the nation's 672 public universities have completed campaigns of this size, while 35 universities, public and private, are currently committed to campaign goals of $1 billion or more.
OSU President Ed Ray notes that raising the goal isn't just about a number. Rather, he says, "it's about raising our sights as a community and ramping up our to-do list to make life better for our students, our state, and our world."
Volunteer leaders of the Campaign Steering Committee concur. In a message to the campaign's most generous donors, co-chairs Patrick F. Stone '74, Patricia J. Reser '60, and James H. Rudd say, "This increased goal reflects the pride that thousands of supporters feel about Oregon State University and their steadfast belief in its mission. As we work together, Oregon State is experiencing an incredible transformation, steadily turning into reality a vision to become one of the nation's top land grant universities with a global impact."
Among other campaign highlights to date, donors have contributed $135 million for scholarships, graduate fellowships, and other student awards, representing the largest such scholarship fundraising effort in state history. A top priority for the final phase of the campaign is to generate even more support for OSU's high-achieving students.
To this end, OSU has launched the Presidential Scholarship Initiative, a matching opportunity funded by $5 million from the Office of the OSU President. Through this program, which will run through 2013, donors can create and name an endowed Presidential Scholarship with a commitment of $100,000, half the usual minimum. The program seeks to raise $10 million, doubling the number of endowed Presidential Scholarships and freeing institutional resources to be used in other ways to support student access, experience, and success.
Presidential Scholarships are OSU's most prestigious undergraduate scholarship, offered to exceptional Oregon residents. Competition for the merit-based award is fierce; last fall, of the freshman applicants who met the stringent academic requirements, only 7 percent received Presidential Scholarships.
The Presidential Scholarship Initiative webpage features profiles of current recipients. In this month's campaign update, a few of these students describe the impact scholarship gifts have made on their lives:
• Natalie Danielson, Geography (College of Science)
• Nathan Hinkle, Environmental Engineering (College of Engineering)
• Sona Hodaie, History (College of Liberal Arts)
