St. Lawrence’s Board of Trustees along with the Advancement Department kicked off the most ambitious capital campaign in school history. The Campaign for Every Laurentian is SLU’s annual capital campaign that aims to raise money for operation costs, capital projects and new university initiatives. The goal set by the trustees is $225 million according to the website, with the campaign already raising $140 million of that goal.
“The University depends on charitable gifts each year to help fund the operating budget, capital projects and new initiatives,” explained Mike Ranger about the importance of the campaign. Ranger is a Board of Trustees member at SLU.“The Campaign for Every Laurentian will generate funds that help the University meet those revenue expectations, including providing funds for the University’s endowment,” said Ranger.
The campaign kicked off the evening of Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 the night included a celebratory dinner, where Alumni Executive Council, Board of Trustee members, and other guests were able to interact with students, faculty and staff. During the event the Board of Trustees and Alumni Executive Council announced that this campaign would be the most ambitious campaign to date.
According to Ranger, the ambitious campaign is set to help offset SLU’s operation costs along with improving the endowment of the university. Endowment is a major component of any university, “The endowment now stands at over $300 million, and each increase of $100 million means an additional $5 million in operating revenue each year. So the Campaign is going to allow us to do more,” said Ranger. SLU’s endowment is certainly substantial, but The Board of Trustees believe it can be raised to a new level with this record setting campaign.
When asked about why the board chose this year to attempt for a record-breaking campaign Ranger responded “As we considered our vision for St. Lawrence moving forward, the evolving needs to educate our students for the 21st century, we knew we needed to raise more funds than ever before. When we looked at our alumni (and parents), we also knew that we had the potential to raise more.” According to Ranger last campaign raised $172 million. This current goal will far exceed that.
The university’s close knit community makes the goal a very possible reality. When many alumni reflect on their time at SLU the common denominator is the profound effect SLU had on their lives and careers. “Going to such a small liberal arts college, in an isolated setting such as Canton force you to embrace the college atmosphere and to truly form a bond with faculty and peers, students, faculty and friends of SLU truly love and form a bond with the school,” said alumnus Tim Fitzgerald ’90 when asked about his experience at SLU. Experiences like this make goal of $225 million a reality.
People interested in donating to The Campaign For Every Laurentian, and making a difference can contact St. Lawrence Advancement Office at 315-229-5503 or visit campaign.slu.edu.The university offers a wide array of activities for students. A large part of the money raised will go to these activities along with improving the academic experience of a 21st century university. “The St. Lawrence Fund, which is the annual giving program that allows us to fund the current programs we have now and make sure they are funded annually,” commented Ranger what the money will go towards. The money raised allows students to have a successful experience at SLU.