Vision for Tomorrow matching gift program raises more than $4.8 million

The matching gift program of the University of Maine’s Vision for Tomorrow campaign has raised more than $4.8 million, according to the University of Maine Foundation.

A $1 million bequest from an anonymous donor leveraged $3.8 million in additional support for UMaine. The now-completed program was the public phase of the Vision for Tomorrow comprehensive campaign, a $200 million fundraising drive.

The majority of the support is directed to undergraduate scholarships. Donors have used the match to leverage support for existing endowments and to create 45 new ones.

“We take great pride in our tradition of helping Maine students afford an outstanding UMaine education,” says Jeffery N. Mills, president and CEO of the University of Maine Foundation. “With this new matching initiative, donors have made a tremendous difference. Over the long term, we can keep more of our best and brightest in Maine where they can contribute to Maine’s economy and quality of life.”

UMaine President Susan J. Hunter also sees the importance of scholarships for Maine students.

“Accessibility and affordability are central to our mission,” Hunter says. “We embrace the opportunity to educate the leaders of tomorrow who will make a tremendous difference here in Maine and beyond.”

Financial aid for students is a top priority for the campaign, which has already raised more than $155 million for scholarships, a new Engineering Education and Design Center, and other needs on and off campus, including at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole and the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

The full news release is on the University of Maine Foundation’s website.

Contact: Monique Hashey, 207.581.5104