Alumni and friends helped Mississippi State University mark its fifth consecutive year of over $100 million raised in gifts and pledges of future support — reaching more than $102.5 million for the just-ended fiscal year 2018 from individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts and estates.
The fiscal year also catapulted the university’s ongoing Infinite Impact campaign to reach $855 million. The campaign began quietly in mid-2010 and has yielded record giving years for the university since that time, reaching its initial $600 million ahead of schedule and moving forward with a $1 billion target.
“Because of continued awareness of Infinite Impact and the growing generosity of supporters, our university is continuing a steady path toward our campaign goal,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “Loyal alumni and friends are the difference makers for our university and their shared belief in our goals becomes the catalyst for our future endeavors.”
Infinite Impact places Mississippi State on a trajectory for rising among the ranks of the best universities in the nation. In its 140th year, MSU is known of late for steady enrollment growth, increasing the number of endowed positions and private scholarships, raising the bar for groundbreaking research, and stimulating economic impact in its community and home state.
“As we build on momentum and begin eyeing the eventual end of the Infinite Impact campaign, we must intensify our fundraising efforts and work to pair potential contributors with strategic investment opportunities that will benefit them and the university,” said John P. Rush, vice president for Development and Alumni who serves as president and CEO of the MSU Foundation. “Mississippi State has nearly 142,000 living alumni and countless friends, and reaching out to them and having them respond passionately each year with commitments is essential for the campaign’s successful conclusion.”
Impact benefits
As Infinite Impact moves toward its goal, the benefits of the campaign are being felt throughout campus. Among many other achievements, campaign gifts have been or continue to be instrumental in the following endeavors:
Specifically, for fiscal year 2018, Rush also noted MSU experienced an annual giving rate of 18 percent, ranking higher than the majority of its peer institutions in this indicator of satisfaction among the institution’s graduates. The MSU Foundation has posted around this percentage for nine consecutive years.
Founded in 1962, the MSU Foundation administers the majority of the university’s fundraising activities. MSU’s current endowment totals $472 million.
More on MSU fundraising is available at msufoundation.com and specifics on the Infinite Impact campaign are available at infiniteimpactmsu.com.
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