VCU kicks off largest capital campaign in history

By Pamela DiSalvo Lepley

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University publicly launched its Campaign for VCU at a celebration tonight, announcing a goal of $330.5 million to be completed over the next three years, the most ambitious and extensive capital campaign in the university’s history.  Nearly $187 million, or 56 percent of the goal, has been raised during the campaign’s lead gifts phase. 

The Campaign for VCU is composed of 20 mini-campaigns, and will build upon the success of the university’s previous Partners for Progress campaign, which ended in 1998 and raised more than $167 million. 

“The Campaign for VCU will help us fight the war on cancer, relieve the national nursing shortage and provide our economy with well trained and motivated engineers and business executives who have great technical skills and can work in diverse settings,” said VCU President Dr. Eugene P. Trani.  “The Campaign for VCU is also about granting greater access to the fulfillment of the American dream through scholarships, attracting bright and ambitious students and faculty to our community and enhancing our area’s cultural and artistic environment.

The Campaign for VCU includes major private funding goals of raising $87 million for the School of Medicine, $70 million for the Massey Cancer Center and $90 million for the proposed Monroe Campus, the site of a new School of Business and the expansion of the School of Engineering.

A major part of the overall goal is earmarked for scholarships, professorships, fellowships and special projects for VCU Life Sciences, the College of Humanities and Sciences, University Libraries, the Schools of Social Work, Education and Mass Communication and the Department of Athletics.

“Due to severe state funding cutbacks, it is more important than ever to build VCU’s endowments and levels of private support,” said James C. Roberts, a campaign co-chair and partner at Troutman Sanders law firm.  “Alumni participation is obviously crucial to the university’s overall fundraising efforts and their generosity and support will have a huge impact on the success of this campaign.”

Roberts, the founding member of the School of Nursing Advancement Council and MCV Foundation trustee, and his wife, Charlotte, a longstanding member of the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary, will co-chair the campaign on the MCV Campus.

The co-chairs for the Academic Campus are Tom and Vicki Snead, both alumni of the VCU School of Business.  Tom Snead is president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Southeast Region.  His wife, Vickie, serves on the Board of the VCU Alumni Association.

The honorary chair of the Campaign for VCU is Richard T. Robertson, VCU Board of Visitors member and president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

A list of the individual goals for the Campaign for VCU is attached.  For more information on the campaign, visit www.vcu.edu/campaign.

CAMPAIGN FOR VCU
Goals

School of Allied Health Professions: $4 million ·       To support Professorships, scholarships, and fellowships	School of the Arts: $10.5 million ·       To support scholarships, visiting artists, research, equipment and technology, and planning funds for a new Anderson Gallery
School of Dentistry: $6 million ·       To support a Virtual Dentistry Learning Center, a Clinical Simulation Laboratory, and a conference facility	School of Engineering: $60 million ·       To support new Phase II expansion, Professorships, and scholarships
School of Medicine: $87 million ·       To support research, Professorships, Chairs, scholarships, and graduate stipends	Honors Program: $1.5 million ·       To support scholarships and a new Honors Center in the Honors dorm
School of Nursing: $13 million ·       To support a new School of Nursing building, scholarships, Chairs, Professorships, and capital projects.	Advantage Virginia Tennis Center: $7.7 million ·       To establish a youth tennis academy, a world-class tennis facility, and attract major tennis tournaments to Virginia
School of Pharmacy: $15 million ·       To support scholarships, Professorships, facility renovations, and fund enhancement	College of Humanities and Sciences and School of Mass Communications: $5 million ·       To support scholarships, fellowships, professorships, and chairs
VCU Massey Cancer Center: $70 million ·       To support a new Cancer Research Building, Professorships, Research funds, and clinics	Schools of Social Work and Education: $2 million ·       To support scholarships and the Partnership for People with Disabilities
VCU Medical Center hospitals and clinics: $4 million ·       To support new clinical critical care areas	University Libraries: $1 million ·       To support building renovation and collection enhancement
School of Business: $30 million ·       To support a new School of Business building, Professorships, and scholarships	Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences: $3 million ·       To support new research, facilities, and educational programming Other: $10.8 million