SDSU Foundation to announce next fundraising campaign

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BROOKINGS  – The SDSU Foundation will present two game-changing events Thursday as the university embarks on its third and largest comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Billed “A Bold Announcement,” SDSU President Barry Dunn and co-chair Dana Dykhouse will reveal campaign details at 4:30 p.m. in Club 71 of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. It will be the largest campaign in South Dakota history.

The celebration continues at 5:30 p.m. on the Alumni Green and Coolidge Sylvan Theatre. Forever Blue: Twilight at the Campanile will include food trucks, SDSU ice cream, campaign logo wear and music. The family-friendly festivities will continue into the evening, with live performances from the SDSU Concert Choir and Drum Line starting at 7:15 p.m. The performance will be accompanied by video projections onto the 165-foot-high Coughlin Campanile.

SDSU Foundation leadership began exploring a comprehensive campaign in July 2016, just months after Dunn took office. The process includes development of the university’s top priorities and a feasibility study to determine a goal. A leadership phase began Jan. 1, 2017. Thursday’s announcement will shift the campaign into its public phase.

SDSU’s first comprehensive campaign, Visions for the Future (1994-1998), exceeded its $50 million goal with $52 million in gifts and commitments. The second, It Starts with STATE (2007 to April 2013), had a goal of $200 million. The campaign raised $255 million.

“We recognize SDSU’s bold aspirations are dependent upon continued strong philanthropic support from alumni, friends and business and industry partners,” said Steve Erpenbach, SDSU Foundation president and CEO. “A public comprehensive campaign will rally people around the initiatives that university leadership has identified as critical for SDSU’s continued growth.”

An extensive campaign leadership structure that includes 13 members of a campaign cabinet and a 14-member business and industry cabinet comprised of the region’s strongest employers will be announced Thursday.

The campaign will have a people-centered focus, with a heavy emphasis on scholarships and faculty support.