Proudly Cincinnati Surpasses $500,000,000

CINCINNATI (June 17, 2009)  – The University of Cincinnati (UC) is on the verge of celebrating one of the biggest milestones of its 190-year history – $500,000,000 – or one half of the private support it seeks to raise through the nearly four-year old comprehensive fundraising campaign, Proudly Cincinnati.

To commemorate this achievement, UC Foundation President Michael W. Carroll and Provost Tony Perzigian, along with Proudly Cincinnati co-chairs Otto Budig and Buck Niehoff, will celebrate the gift that literally pushed UC across the $500,000,000 threshold in a special ceremony on Monday June 22, 2009 at 1 p.m. in the Hunter Room of the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center, located on UC’s west uptown campus.

The ceremony will be a total surprise to the donor, who is unaware that their gift moved the campaign past $500,000,000 this week.  The donor is an employee of the University, and has been giving to UC for nearly a decade.

“It’s more than appropriate that a university employee made the gift which pushed our fundraising total past $500,000,000,” said Michael W. Carroll, President of The UC Foundation. “UC’s faculty and staff support the university in many meaningful ways, and as a whole, have donated almost 10% of the total dollars raised through Proudly Cincinnati. This speaks volumes to their heartfelt commitment to the University and its students.”

Proudly Cincinnati: Tower of Strength, Rock of Truth is the University’s most ambitious campaign in history, supporting the vision for UC to become the finest urban research university in the United States. With a goal to raise $1 billion by 2013, the campaign is organized into six university-wide priorities:

• 21^st Century Learning - first-year experiences, senior capstone experiences, honors programs, cooperative education, clinical training and study abroad.
  
  
• Health in the 21^st Century - strengthened training for top health-care professionals and support for ground-breaking collaborative research.
  
  
• Science and Technology in the 21^st Century - nurturing new research talent and placing discovery at the core of all disciplines.
  
  
• Arts, Design, and the Humanities in the 21^st Century - enhancing every area of artistic and humanistic study so UC students can thrive and communicate in a global society.
  
  
• Urban Solutions for the 21^st Century - creating powerful partnerships and innovative educational programs relevant to urban life.
  
  
• The UC Experience - enriching student life outside of the classroom.

“Proudly Cincinnati will assist us in maximizing our prospects for growth across the university,” said Tony Perzigian, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Interdisciplinary collaborations among colleges, research activities and programmatic improvements are all augmented by private support. These funds allow us to maintain the highest standard in teaching, learning, research, creative work and service while offering new programs and learning opportunities.”

Fundraising for Proudly Cincinnati began in 2005, and continued in what’s known as the “quiet phase” for slightly more than three years. When the campaign went public last October, more than $454-million had been raised – including more than $84-million in commitments from members of the University and Foundation boards. In addition, UC enjoyed its most successful year of fundraising ever in fiscal-year 2008, with more than $196-million raised for campaign and university priorities.

“UC has benefitted from the exceptional generosity of our donors, including alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students, parents, volunteers, corporations and foundations, both locally in Cincinnati and across the world,” said Otto Budig, Proudly Cincinnati co-chair. “I’m inspired by the generosity and passion our donors display, and I’m proud to serve the university that has given so much to me.”

Chrissy Wankewycz, a recent graduate of the Communication program and scholarship recipient, will speak to the importance of the campaign from a student standpoint. “The scholarships I received allowed me to pursue minors in Spanish and Mathematical Sciences, which I hope will lead to further opportunities in the job market or higher education,” she said. “I was also able to study abroad in Chile and Nicaragua and maintain an active role in several organizations around campus. All of these things contributed to who I am today, and it wouldn’t have been possible without scholarships provided by donors. I sincerely appreciate the opportunities I was given and am grateful that more students will have the same experiences I did.”

 “There are only a handful of public universities that have attempted a campaign of this magnitude,” said Buck Niehoff, Proudly Cincinnati co-chair and chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. “At its core, Proudly Cincinnati is about generating the resources UC needs to be one of the best universities in the world. My wife Patti and I are proud to support UC, and we hope others answer the call and consider making a gift to the campaign.”