The Impact of $1 Billion

January 22, 2015

Dear Members of the Rutgers Community:

I am thrilled to announce the resounding success of the university’s seven-and-a-half-year Our Rutgers, Our Future campaign. The campaign not only reached its billion-dollar goal on time but also surpassed it, raising $1,037,056,700 by its formal close on December 31, 2014. Congratulations, and thank you for helping to define, support, and realize the vision we set forth.

The overarching purpose of this campaign was to advance Rutgers into the ranks of the nation’s very best public research institutions. We are grateful to all of the donors who supported and believed in the campaign. Through generous contributions in support of the campaign’s four priorities—faculty and research, students and learning, campuses and facilities, and university and community programs—we are poised to move forward as never before.

The funds you have helped us raise will enable Rutgers to act on the vision expressed in our University Strategic Plan, a vision developed by you and our entire university community—faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends—for what Rutgers is and what it can become. You embraced this vision and have contributed generously toward realizing our shared aspiration of making Rutgers one of the nation’s finest public research universities: preeminent in research, excellent in teaching, and committed to community.

Before I assumed the presidency of Rutgers in 2012, I met with the Our Rutgers, Our Future co-chairs and committed my support to the campaign, which had begun under the leadership of President Richard L. McCormick. Despite the challenges Rutgers faced during the campaign—including the worst recession in recent history—we sustained our momentum and surpassed our goal, thanks in great part to the ongoing leadership of campaign co-chairs Albert R. Gamper Jr. UCN’66, Keiko T. Harvey ENG’72, Duncan L. MacMillan RC’66, Ernest Mario PHARM’61, and Thomas A. Renyi RC’67, RBS’68; the steadfast commitment of all Rutgers University Foundation and Alumni Association staff; the partnership of Board of Overseers chairs Mark P. Hershhorn RC'71, Brian D. Perkins RC'76, Kenneth M. Schmidt RC'67, and Ronald D. Wilson RC'71; and the guidance of Rutgers University Foundation President Nevin E. Kessler, who led the campaign in its final year and ensured that we successfully crossed the finish line.

Here are some highlights of the Our Rutgers, Our Future campaign:

• Raised $1,037,056,700, surpassing our $1 billion goal.
• Engaged 130,450 donors, of whom 70,690 were alumni.
• Raised $310 million in newly endowed funds.
• Raised $412.6 million to support faculty and research. Among the impacts of this support are 29 new endowed chairs, endowments and operating support for research institutes, and seed funding needed to explore new areas of research—support that is essential to winning larger grants and, ultimately, addressing issues of enormous relevance.
• Raised $286.1 million for students and learning. Examples of what this support has achieved include 449 new endowed scholarships and fellowships; enhanced opportunities for interaction with professors in small-discussion classes; and more resources for experiential learning, meaningful undergraduate research, and study abroad.
• Raised $132.7 million for campuses and facilities, making it possible to construct transformational buildings; enhance spaces for collaborative learning; and purchase state-of-the-art equipment and technology to better serve our students and faculty.
• Raised $174.2 million for university and community programs, from local and global community outreach to athletics support, which is critical to competing in the Big Ten.

These examples represent just a few of the many ways this campaign is adding significant value to the Rutgers community—and you will see more details and examples of its impact in the campaign final report we will release in March.

I hope you will take great pride in your role in this historic achievement for Rutgers. By successfully completing this campaign, we have secured our ability to tackle the strategic priorities we established for the entire university last year. This is a singular moment in Rutgers’ history, and I thank you for your support. Because of you, our future is very bright.

Sincerely,

Bob Barchi