Carleton has reached $200 million of its $300 million fundraising goal for the Collaborate campaign.
The money raised is collected from donors and volunteers that work with Carleton faculty, staff, and leadership to make a gift to a cause or project that means the most to them, according to Ryan Davies, the director of advancement communications at Carleton.
Davies said the purpose of the campaign is to bring people together to renew Carleton’s founding mandate, which is to serve the community.
“Our motto is to be ‘here for good’—to serve the greater good of society—and the campaign helps us fulfill that mission by raising much-needed funds for university priorities,” Davies said via email.
According to Davies, the university has been actively fundraising for the campaign since November 2015.
“In its early phase the focus was on working with university leaders, past supporters, and potential volunteers to discuss campaign priorities and engage support throughout the community,” he said.
Davies said the university’s Future Funder website allows students and researchers to participate in the Collaborate campaign through crowdfunding. He said this makes the campaign a community experience.
“We have accomplished a great deal through this campaign,” Davies said.
He said that Carleton has been able to launch a new program in indigenous policy and provide financial aid for students through the campaign.
“We have developed an ecosystem for entrepreneurs and established a new learning model for healthcare workers,” he added.
“Philanthropy is a critical aspect of higher education; it helps universities and colleges fund the ‘margin of excellence’—those opportunities and experiences that turn a great educational experience into a transformational one,” Davies said.
According to Davies, the campaign is hoping to meet its $300 million goal by the end of 2018.
