Ohio State launches $2.5 billion fundraising effort
The Ohio State University will launch But for Ohio State: The Campaign for The Ohio State University, with a special celebration at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, in the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.
Through the campaign, Ohio State intends to raise $2.5 billion. The campaign, which will sustain and advance Ohio State as one of the nation’s premier public research universities, is the largest fundraising endeavor in the university’s history.
Approximately 700 friends of the university are expected to attend the kick-off of Ohio State’s fundraising campaign. The event will feature prominent alumni from across the nation, highlighting their stories about how Ohio State helped them become leaders in their field and address issues impacting the world.
As part of the celebration, a free outdoor concert will be held on the Oval for students, faculty, alumni and staff of the university featuring O.A.R. (Of a Revolution), a rock band whose members are Ohio State alumni. Pre-concert programming begins at 8 p.m. and will include special guests and The Ohio State Marching Band. The concert will begin at 9:30 p.m.
As Ohio’s land-grant university, Ohio State is the doorway to the American dream for its students, who can experience a multitude of disciplines and learn from professionals and experts from around the world. One of the nation’s most comprehensive universities, Ohio State has the capacity, talent and research agenda to discover and create solutions that have enormous impact on hundreds of millions of people.
Through the campaign, Ohio State will fund five priority areas:
*Placing Students First
*Elevating Faculty and Academic Enterprise
*Creating Modern Learning Environments
*Emboldening our Research Agenda
*Driving High-Impact Innovation
Robert Schottenstein, chair of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees underscores the importance of the campaign.
“Since our founding in 1870, The Ohio State University has grown to become one of the nation’s premier public research universities. Its impact on our state and beyond is incalculable. The University has real momentum and is making extraordinary progress on many fronts,” said Schottenstein. “The But for Ohio State campaign will empower the university to reach new heights, as we continue our journey to become the best public university in the country,” he continued.
Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee says the campaign, which has been in the planning phases for several years, will allow Ohio State to implement visionary new ideas.
“This is an unprecedented moment in the history of Ohio State. The campaign will enable us to garner the resources necessary to address issues of the greatest magnitude. It is wholly within our power to reach our full potential as a university that serves our community and our global society with unrestrained vigor.”
The campaign will further strengthen the university’s solid financial condition and provide even greater flexibility for Ohio State to tackle complex global problems related to food production and security, health and wellness, and energy and the environment. The campaign also will enable the university to implement visionary new ideas for the student experience.
“The But for Ohio State campaign will help provide the resources that allow us to become an even more agile, responsive university in service to our community, our state, our global society and our students,” says Jeff Kaplan, president of The Ohio State University Foundation, senior vice president and special assistant to the president.
This is the largest campaign in the university’s history. To date, the campaign has more than 400,000 people who have already contributed to the campaign and nearly 350 alumni and friends volunteering on behalf of the campaign. Resources generated through the campaign will combine with internal resources to focus intently on the areas of food production and security, health and wellness, and energy and the environment. The campaign is scheduled to conclude in June 2016.
About But for Ohio State
The But for Ohio State Campaign is a $2.5 billion fundraising endeavor of The Ohio State University that is about sustaining and advancing an institution that changes lives. The campaign goal is to garner ongoing resources that allow Ohio State to expand its role as a leading research university that supports and services the faculty, staff and students, as well as the broader community and global society. The campaign will enable the University to implement visionary new ideas for the student experience and to use our breadth of disciplines to tackle complex global problems related to food production and security; health and wellness; and energy and the environment. For more information on how to support the campaign, visit giveto.osu.edu.
About The Ohio State University
Founded in 1870, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 63,000 students (including 56,000 in Columbus), a major medical center, 14 colleges, 80 centers and 175 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions.
