North Dakota Spirit - The Campaign for UND

UND Foundation Sets Records as N.D. Spirit Campaign Goes Public

Grand Forks, N.D. (8-11-11) — The University of North Dakota Foundation is proud to announce multiple fundraising records.

During fiscal year 2011, 13,748 unique donors — the largest donor pool the Foundation has ever seen — directed a record $50.5 million in new gifts and pledges, as well as other future commitments such as bequests and trusts, to the University of North Dakota. That blows by the previous record set in 2007, when donors pledged $45.9 million in support of UND.

These generous contributions support North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, which aims to direct $300 million to UND’s passionate students, inspirational educators, innovative programs and extraordinary places. To date, campaign contributions total about $230 million and are rising. Major contributors to the campaign include Ben, ’62, ’63, and Dorothy Gorecki of Milaca, Minn.; and Glen, ’59, ’61, and Janice Gransberg, Grand Forks, whose gifts benefit the now-under- construction Gorecki Alumni Center.

“This year, we set records and made history on the UND campus. The North Dakota Spirit Campaign is the most notable event in the history of University of North Dakota fundraising. We have called alumni and friends of the University, like the Gransbergs and Goreckis, to action and they have answered loudly. The construction of the Gorecki Alumni Center is proof of that, and we look ahead to the future as we continue to build a tradition of giving back to UND,” said Tim O’Keefe, ’71, executive vice president and CEO of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation.

In FY11, the Foundation set another record of $6.1 million in annual gifts. Of that, $137,321 was pledged online, nearly doubling the 2010 total for online annual giving. Through the combination of annual cash gifts and payout from endowment investments, $11.5 million went directly through the UND Foundation to programs and support for the University, its students and faculty.

Annual gifts help provide a source of funds for the University to meet today’s most immediate needs. This year, faculty and staff contributed to a very successful giving program that helped set the annual giving record. The faculty-staff program kicked off on the heels of Ignite the Spirit in October, which commenced the public phase of the North Dakota Spirit Campaign.

“The University of North Dakota would not be where it is today without alumni, friends, faculty and staff who consistently show their North Dakota Spirit by giving through the UND Foundation. Because of the Campaign for UND, we are able to support the University’s inspirational faculty, innovative programs and extraordinary places,” UND President Robert Kelley said. “And let’s not forget about our most valuable assets — our students.”

In April, the UND Alumni Association and UND Foundation co-hosted the Sioux-Per Gala, which raises funds for athletic Impact Scholarships. The gala hosted 467 attendees and was able to direct more than $117,000 to UND’s student-athletes. Of the 114 items auctioned, a private air charter trip to a UND hockey game in Denver pulled in the largest bid — $7,200, which was then matched by Ralph Engelstad Arena.

To learn more about North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND.