Beyond Boundaries: The Campaign for Tufts, the university-wide capital campaign initiated by University President Lawrence Bacow early in his tenure, is on the brink of completion with 99 percent of the $1.2 billion total raised thus far.
With $15 million left to raise, administrators are confident that the campaign is on track to close by the end of June and Bacow's tenure at Tufts.
Beyond Boundaries, which started with a quiet phase in 2002 and was publicly launched in 2006, has focused on the three priorities of supporting the student experience, building up a stellar faculty and enhancing physical facilities.
"The nice thing is that the campaign was launched under Larry's presidency … so his presidency has kind of tracked with the campaign," Director of Advancement Communications and Donor Relations Christine Sanni (LA '89) said. "It's nice that it will close for his departure and under his leadership."
The past year of fundraising has seen a number of campaign donations in honor of Bacow and his wife Adele Fleet Bacow. Board of Trustees Chair James Stern (E '72) and Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus Nathan Gantcher (A '62) led the effort to raise funds on behalf of the couple in response to a large number of requests, raising $41 million in the Bacows' name and far surpassing the original $15 million target, according to Director of Central Development Programs Christopher Simoneau.
"From the day that Larry announced it was going to be ten years, which was a year ago in February, I was inundated by trustees and emeritus trustees asking, ‘What are we doing for Larry and Adele; we've got to do something,'" Stern said.
Stern emphasized that Beyond Boundaries was an enormous undertaking for the university, aiming to raise 60 percent of the total goal for the endowment.
"Tufts is the only school where when they announced a campaign, the size of the campaign was greater than their original endowment. I am reasonably certain that has never been the case," he said. "To call it an ambitious goal is an understatement; the fact that we are going to achieve it is obviously more than very satisfying."
Stern added that the campaign's completion is made more remarkable by the fact that the funds raised have gone toward supporting the main priorities of the campaign and Bacow's vision for the university, namely "great students and great faculty."
"What has made this campaign better than just achieving it is it's really been the money raised exactly for the reasons we sought to raise it — primarily for academic scholarships and to attract, recruit and retain great faculty," he said.
A total of $427 million has been raised to support students, including 270 endowed scholarships and 354 term scholarships, according to Sanni.
"One of the things we are most proud of … is the amount of financial aid we have provided to students has more than doubled at the undergraduate level during this campaign, making Tufts more accessible," Simoneau said.
The campaign has also raised $376 million for faculty, fully funding 21 professorships in addition to other gifts to support the work of junior faculty.
The $41 million donated in honor of the Bacows has gone toward causes that are especially meaningful to the couple, in particular the renovation of the athletics facility, construction of a new Lawrence S. Bacow and Adele Fleet Bacow Sailing Pavilion and financial aid.
"They asked him what are the things he'd like to have raised and he said that he wanted the athletics facility completed," Sanni said "Which is great; that's been a hallmark of his presidency — the focus on fitness and wellness, making sure students have access to better facilities — so it's great that with this fundraising we are able to break ground on this facility."
Sanni added that a more recent gift in Bacow's honor was a $400,000 commitment from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar (E '88) and his wife Pamela (LA '89) to fund a term scholarship. One of the most notable campaign donations came from Trustee Emeritus Edward Merrin (A '50) and his wife Vivian Merrin, who last year committed $30 million for undergraduate financial aid.
Almost all the trustees who have served at some point during Bacow's tenure donated money in his honor, according to Stern, and the $41 million was raised with relative ease.
"I've been involved in various forms of fundraising … certainly in my close to thirty years on the board. … I've had easy money to raise; there's been hard money to raise; this was not difficult," Stern said. "The love, affection and respect for Larry and Adele as people and equally important for what they have accomplished and how they've transformed Tufts — it's an easy A."
Bacow expressed his gratitude for the personalized contributions.
"Adele and I are moved beyond words by the many gifts that have been made in our honor," he said in an email. "By any measure, it has been a huge success."
Even the economic downturn beginning in 2007 did not derail the campaign's completion.
"We obviously were concerned about the economic downturn but remained positive throughout because of the alumni and friend support for the university which is so strong and stayed that way throughout the downturn as well," Simoneau said.
"In the last couple of years, not-for-profit fundraising in general has been difficult with all that's been going on with the economy," Stern said. "So this is a pretty extraordinary achievement and a tribute not just to President Bacow and his vision but to [Vice President of University Advancement] Brian Lee and all the people who worked so hard to make it happen."
Fundraising will continue after the completion of Beyond Boundaries, although the initiation of the next capital campaign will await President-elect Anthony Monaco's strategic direction.
"President Monaco will have a vision to build on what we have done here and we will design the next capital campaign at that time around this vision," Stern said. "There will certainly be another large capital campaign and it will certainly be done in the context of Tony Monaco's presidency."
Sanni explained that the university advancement team was already beginning to prepare for post-Beyond Boundaries fundraising, particularly to continue supporting faculty and students in, priorities that Monaco has already identified.
"People — the students and faculty — are things that are always most attractive for donors and we will continue to raise money for them even though we are not in an active campaign," she said.
