Institutional Advancement Eyes $25M Fundraising

A proposed $25 million fundraising plan for Salem State University is in its initial planning stages and will be put to a vote early next semester.

The campaign was discussed at a November 3 meeting between the Institutional Advancement Committee and the Salem State Alumni Foundation. A representative from CCS—a fundraising consultation firm—discussed what kind of structure would be necessary to undertake such a campaign.

The Institutional Advancement Committee is a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees, and handles all monetary aspects of the university, including fundraising.  

The November 3 meeting was deemed necessary to make sure that the trustees, the Alumni Foundation, and Salem State President Patricia Meservey are all on the same page before trustees and the foundation hold their separate votes.

"It's a shared responsibility between everybody to make sure that this gets done," said Student Trustee Representative Angel Rodriguez.

Jean Fleischman, Executive Assistant to Meservey and secretary to the Board of Trustees, said on November 17 that the trustees would like to have another joint meeting with the Alumni Foundation before either body holds a vote. No dates have been set, but Fleischman is optimistic that both votes will take place early next semester.

The trustees would oversee the entire campaign if approved. The Alumni Foundation and CCS would both report to the board—specifically the Institutional Advancement Committee. The campaign would run for five years, and although it is still in the tentative planning stages, it is a large enough initiative to warrant meetings early and often.

Salem State has lost more than $8 million in funding from the state over the last two years. Currently, Salem State manages to raise an average of roughly $5 million per year through fundraising efforts.

The campaign would also help correct problems with where funds are directed. As state funds drop, the school must rely more on donations, specifically large alumni donations--and the donor gets to choose how the funds are allocated. If Salem State can raise more money, the Institutional Advancement Committee will have more to distribute among departments that do not receive large donations.