Colleges hunting for donations

Fund raising is ongoing at all of Utah's colleges and universities, but some presidents and their staff are taking it further this summer — hosting dinners, wrangling alumni and even heading out of state to raise money for their schools.

Private support is vital to universities and for the 10 public learning institutions in the state; it fuels many research and training opportunities and innovative programming.

Utah State University's President Stan Albrecht plans to visit alumni in 11 cities in the next three months, from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. The extended effort is meant to push USU, which is currently in an active capital campaign phase, to $200 million by 2010.

"To succeed, the campaign needs not just a Cache Valley presence or a Utah presence. ... We'll be making contact with alumni across the country who perhaps have not been in touch with us for a while," Albrecht said.

Since March, 27,000 donors have promised $110 million.

"Every one of our colleges have aspirations that are funded by this campaign, from the library to the athletic department," said R. Kent Clark, assistant to the president for development.

"Every gift counts," he said.

Presidents F. Ann Millner and Michael T. Benson, of Weber State University and Southern Utah University respectively, also have summer visits planned for locations across the country. Neither of the schools are currently in an active campaign but the down time is often used as a "springboard for major donation times," said John Kowalewski, director of media relations at WSU.

"It's a chance to reconnect with alumni all over the country and create an awareness of the university that leads to donations," he said. Weber concluded a major campaign in 2003, after exceeding an expected goal of $75 million by $15 million.

When not involved in a capital campaign push, Kowalewski said WSU generally receives $10 million each year from private donors.

Donors for SUU are hit up at school-sponsored barbecues and other summer activities involving alumni chapters around the nation. SUU has about 11 of them and the fund raising and discussion at their meetings provide significant support for the growing university, which raised $6 million last year.

"There's no break in the action," said SUU's assistant to the president, Dean O'Driscoll. "We're constantly looking for money." This year, the Legislature approved funding for a new science building at the Cedar City campus and additional funding, including a $3 million donation from alumni in New York, is necessary to make it happen.

Private donations are relied upon for such advancements at all public institutions.