UA to solicit private funds

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat UA President Peter Likins

The last capital campaign organized by the University of Arizona raised $196 million between 1987 and 1992. UA President Peter Likins said he doesn't know how much he hopes to raise with this campaign.

"We are doing a lot of homework, and part of the homework is figuring out how much we can raise," Likins said. "Our goal is to announce a capital campaign at the end of 1999. That much is planned."

Likins said the fund-raiser is needed to expand the UA's financial options.

"We cannot look to the state government - meaning the taxpayers - or the tuition payers to build a margin of excellence," he said. "Public universities have gradually come to understand they cannot prosper or succeed without private money. We need to diversify our financial dependencies."

A Capital Campaign Planning Committee, anchored by foundation President Richard Imwalle, has been established to oversee the process.

Dana Weir, UA Foundation vice president for communications and public affairs, said last month the foundation will organize the fund-raising efforts, and the university will decide where the money will be spent.

"The foundation admin-istration is working with the university administration," Weir said. "But the uni-versity determines the priorities."

Likins said he doesn't know yet where the ma-jority of the money will be used, but wants a portion to be set aside for a financial aid.

"We need to determine what the priorities and needs are," Likins said. "It is my strong belief in that campaign we should make a financial aid endowment a high priority."

Weir said campaign planning began last summer and will continue through 1999.

She said the foundation will step up fund-raising efforts at the beginning of 2000, hosting public events and taking on a higher profile, and that the campaign will continue for three or four years.

The UA has already begun campaigning to determine how much money it can expect to raise.

"We will solicit funds for a period of a couple years to get a sense of what our goals are," Likins said.

Weir said that the foundation is soliciting funds, but she would not confirm whether they are part of the campaign.

"Of course we are raising money, but the campaign has not begun," Weir said. "It is very likely that funding coming in may be part of the campaign."

Money will be solicited from every available source, Weir said, including alumni and corporations. She said there will be a telephone outreach program set up to contact alumni.

The foundation will accept monetary gifts of any size, although the campaign's overall success will depend on the larger ones.

"These efforts are anchored by 'major gifts' - a subjective term," Weir said. "For our purposes - for the upcoming campaign - it has yet to be determined (what a major gift is)."

Anthony C. Braza can be reached via e-mail at Anthony.C.Braza@wildcat.arizona.edu.