In addition to the $136-million gift from Frank Doble (A '11), many other recent donations have helped the Beyond Boundaries campaign in its quest for $1.2 billion.
The fundraising drive has drawn on gifts from almost 82,000 friends, alumni, foundations and organizations. "People who share our values are joining in partnership to make some astounding things happen at this university," said Brian Lee, vice president of University Advancement.
Alan McDougall (A '65) and his wife have willed their estate to the School of Arts and Sciences, contributing to a $20-million pledge from the Tufts Alumni Council. With the gift, the McDougalls join many other members of the Charles Tufts Society, a group of donors who have bequeathed estates or made a life income gift to Tufts.
McDougall, the former president of the Tufts University Alumni Association, said that bequeathing the estate "wasn't a hard decision," because he attributes his success to the university. He noted that he would not have been able to attend Tufts without the generosity of others.
"I want the university to be able to prosper, and I want them to be able to help other students that wouldn't otherwise be able to attend the university," McDougall said.
The Charles Tufts Society is looking to establish 700 new commitments by the end of the Beyond Boundaries campaign, according to Christine Sanni, the director of advancement communications and donor relations.
Lee said that donations to Beyond Boundaries have helped the university bring in a very diverse student body and faculty.
"Particularly in the areas of supporting faculty and students, we're seeing people willing to invest in areas that help us attract and maintain the best faculty," Lee said. "They're enabling us to attract a diverse and exceptionally talented student body."
One fund, the Neubauer Fund for Faculty Excellence, has donated $5 million and brought in six Neubauer Fellows to join the junior faculty. The fund, started by Tufts Trustee Joseph Neubauer (E '63), still has $2.5 million on hand.
The $5-million Pritzker Challenge has helped raise money for students. The fund, established in 2003 by Dan Pritzker (LA '81) and Karen Pritzker (J '83), has raised $20 million as the Pritzkers have matched donations.
Lee said that gifts from trustees have been very important.
Board of Trustees Chair Jim Stern (E '72) recently donated $10 million to be devoted to undergraduate financial aid, endowed scholarships for graduate research and two endowed professorships.
That gift, along with past gifts of $40 million from trustee Jonathan Tisch (A '76) and a donation of $100 million from Pierre and Pam Omidyar (LA '88 and J '89, respectively), has set an example for alumni giving, Lee said.
"Those gifts stand out for me as among the most important because they set the pace," he said.
But Lee emphasized that gifts of every size have been important to the campaign. He said that Beyond Boundaries is not just about the "big gift."
"While those gifts set the bar, there are tens of thousands of other gifts that have had an impact," Lee said.
