By the numbers
Aspire: A Plan for Princeton
Princeton NJ — Aspire: A Plan for Princeton is the University’s fourth formal fundraising campaign, and its third comprehensive campaign, in which money is raised through both the Annual Giving fund and through major contributions to capital projects. (see story in this issue)
• The $53 Million for Princeton University Campaign was launched by President Robert F. Goheen on Feb. 21, 1959, during the University’s annual celebration of Alumni Day. The three-year effort ultimately raised more than $60 million, and included the $35 million gift to create the Robertson Foundation and support the graduate program at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; sought financing for new buildings, notably the expansion of the Engineering Quadrangle; and strengthened the endowment.
• A Campaign for Princeton, which originally sought to raise $275 million, also was launched on Alumni Day — Feb. 19, 1982. Led by President William G. Bowen, the University’s first comprehensive campaign opened with an advance fund of $63 million. Its goal was increased to $330 million in January 1984; at the campaign’s close on July 30, 1986, $410.5 million had been raised. The campaign funded faculty and academic programs, notably the birth of the Department of Molecular Biology; academic facilities; student aid and residential life; and athletics. (During the early years of Bowen’s 15-year tenure, from 1974 to 1977, a development program aimed at raising $125 million for Princeton was conducted. A limited number of volunteers solicited a select group of donors, with a final tally of $127 million contributed.)
• Marking the 250th anniversary of the University’s founding, the Anniversary Campaign for Princeton, launched by President Harold T. Shapiro on Nov. 10, 1995, had an initial goal of $750 million. When this comprehensive campaign ended on June 30, 2000, it had raised $1.14 billion. More than 78 percent of all undergraduate alumni contributed, and new resources were secured for virtually every aspect of the life of the campus. The funds supported building construction and renovation, new scholarly programs, and many enhancements to student life. Major achievements included significantly broadening undergraduate financial aid policies to make the University more accessible to lower-income families.
