BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Supporters of Illinois Wesleyan have contributed to a record-setting year in fundraising for the University, giving nearly $35 million in the recently ended fiscal year — more than triple the yearly average raised during the past decade.
"We're profoundly grateful to our generous donors for their dramatic participation during our 175th year, as we look to make more possible for students," said President Sheahon Zenger. "Year 176 is going to be even greater, with more new initiatives and exciting student opportunities in the works.
"We hear from so many of our donors that there's new momentum, new energy on campus," Zenger said. "They see, as I do, that what we do here is worth supporting, worth carrying into the future."
"Our donors are strong believers in the liberal arts," said Vice President for Advancement Jesse Meyer. "They've reaffirmed there's a demand and support for the model of private liberal arts education and innovation that we've been perfecting for 175 years, and they see value in how we continue to evolve.”
This momentum includes the biggest single day of giving in McLean County higher education history, raising $3.6 million during All in for Wesleyan in April; introducing the Fisher Center for Quantum Science and Engineering in May; and opening the Petrick Idea Center this fall.
The $34.8 million raised during the fiscal year ending July 31 is a three-fold increase from the average $10 million raised annually at the institution over the past 10 years.
Meyer said this new giving level is a meaningful demonstration of support as the University prepares to embark on the most ambitious fundraising engagement effort in institutional history.
Innovations at the University include a 360-degree approach to fundraising introduced under the leadership of Meyer and Zenger. Faculty, students, staff, athletics personnel, and University leadership are often included in conversations with donors, allowing for authentic connections and collaborative partnerships.
The strength of giving to Illinois Wesleyan also reflects a national donor base of grateful alumni, Meyer noted.
"We're engaging with new friends and re-engaging with local partners and alumni spread far and wide who believe in how this place shaped them, and believe those opportunities should be available to others," Meyer said.