IUPUI announces $1.25 billion fundraising goal

IUPUI is seeking to raise $1.25 billion by the summer of 2013 through its IUPUI Impact campaign.

The school began the campaign four years ago. Since then, IUPUI has raised about $860 million for scholarships, faculty, research and other programs.

"When you start the campaign, you work quietly on seeing what you can put together," said Gene Tempel, president of the Indiana University Foundation. "Once you secure the largest gifts, you try to determine what the potential might be for moving forward.

"We look at what we have raised before and what we have raised to date, and we believe this number is achievable."

The Campaign for IUPUI ended in 2004 after raising about $1.04 billion. On Friday, Indiana University's Bloomington campus marked the end of its Matching the Promise campaign, which raised $1.14 billion.

"To our knowledge, only one other university in this country — Stanford — has undertaken three campaigns of this magnitude," Indiana University President Michael McRobbie said in a news release.

Fundraising will be done locally, with representatives from individual schools and programs contacting potential donors, the university said Saturday.

"In many cases, meetings with potential donors could involve students, faculty members or alumni who have contributed money in the past, to help make a case to support the school," Tempel said.

Gifts received so far include $60 million from the Lilly Endowment for the Indiana Physician Scientist Initiative at the School of Medicine and $50 million from Bren Simon and her late husband Melvin to start the Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.