UMaine Reaches Fundraising Campaign Goal of $150 Million

Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571, joe.carr@umit.maine.edu

ORONO — The University of Maine has raised more than $150 million from private sources since 2005, reaching the ambitious goal associated with the largest fundraising campaign in Maine public university history.  Known as Campaign Maine, the effort was launched in 2005 shortly after Robert Kennedy was named UMaine’s president.

“This is a great UMaine success story,” says Kennedy.  “The generosity of our alumni and friends reflects the pride and enthusiasm that have been so apparent throughout this campaign.  The support has been overwhelming since the day we started the campaign, and it is immensely gratifying to consider the permanent impact this effort will have on the university’s academic programs, research enterprise and outreach capacity.”

The current campaign total — $152,300,000 — includes gifts and documented pledges.  Campaign chairs Allen and Sally Fernald, prominent UMaine alumni who live in Camden, announced that total at a Tuesday night dinner hosted by the UMaine Board of Visitors in honor of Kennedy, who is stepping down from the presidency at the end of June.

A comprehensive campaign, this effort is aimed primarily at providing scholarships for qualified students; providing resources for a first-rate faculty; bolstering the university’s academic programs; and funding capital construction and renovation priorities.

“This campaign continues through the end of June, and we will work hard to add to the total and maximize the campaign’s long-term impact on the university,” says Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Eric Rolfson.  “Moreover, this campaign reflects an overarching vision for UMaine’s future which will depend on on an ongoing, robust private fundraising effort.”

At Tuesday’s dinner, UMaine officials praised the institution’s private fundraising partners: the University of Maine Alumni Association, the University of Maine Foundation, the 4-H Foundation and the Pulp and Paper Foundation, all of which worked with the university’s development office staff to achieve this milestone.

“Campaign Maine will have a long-lasting impact on the University of Maine for a number of reasons,” says James Goff, chair of the Board of Visitors.  “Campaign gifts are already funding scholarships, professorships and campus upgrades helping the university serve its students and its statewide mission.  It has also catalyzed cultural and systemic changes that will make ongoing and future fundraising efforts more successful.  Bob Kennedy’s leadership has been instrumental in fostering a new approach to private fundraising, which will be an important and enduring element of his legacy.”