Howard reaches $250M fundraising ahead of schedule

On March 9, 2002, Campaign for Howard was launched in an effort to raise $250 million in five years to provide resources needed to strengthen the university’s faculty, offer students adequate financial assistance and prepare them for a new technological era. Meeting its goal 10 months earlier than scheduled, the Campaign for Howard is now complete.

Pleased that the goal was reached in such a timely manner, President H. Patrick Swygert offered his appreciation to the thousands of participating alumni, friends and supporters that helped in meeting the goal of the Campaign.

According to a press release Swygert said, “the foundation of the Campaign’s success was [Howard’s] sustained focus on the strategic areas and initiatives set forth in Strategic Framework for Action I and II (SFA I and SFA II).”

SFA I and SFA II were adopted by the Board of Trustees in 1996 and 2001 to help Howard in becoming, “a global leader in higher education while maintaining fidelity to our core values, most especially our historical and contemporary mandate to be the situs for generation of the research, inquiry and knowledge that is responsive to the issues affecting the African-American community and the African Diaspora,” Swygert said.

The allocation of the monies for Campaign for Howard is broken down on the Campaign Web site, giving $100 million to the strengthening of academic programs and $150 million for new facilities for learning and research.

Undergraduate Trustee Jabari Smith said there will be a formal announcement concerning the result of Campaign for Howard at this Saturday’s Charter Day Gala Dinner.

“I feel that the university and the Howard community should be extremely proud for completing this endeavor,” Smith said. “It has set us apart from our other university counterparts.”

Dana Morgan, a 2005 graduate, was a freshman when Campaign for Howard was first launched in 2002. Morgan says she remembers the slogan behind the Campaign and feels that Howard has carried that motto through.

“I am truly excited at what we have raised and I think it’s quite impressive that we are able to raise that amount of money and even better to raise it earlier than expected,” Morgan said. “It is definitely a positive look on Howard and helps us in showing our dedication to ‘Leadership for America and the Global Community.’”

In addition to alumni, friends and supporters of the Campaign, Swygert sends personal appreciation to the initiators of the Campaign, James E. Cheek, Ph.D., 13th president of Howard and Roger Estep, Ph.D., former vice president for University advancement.

“[The university] thanks all who have contributed to the success of the Campaign for Howard: our trustees, faculty, students, staff, alumni, friends and corporate supporters,” he added.

Smith acknowledged all that helped the Campaign reach its goal, agreeing that it was a collective effort of everyone in the Howard community.

“Everyone has been a contributor to its success,” Smith said. “This has given the university not only an opportunity to say we did, but also the confidence to move forward with other campaigns in the future.”