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UM unveils major fund-raising campaign
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| Dennis Washington speaks at his Missoula-area ranch
while his wife, Phyllis, and UM President George Dennison look on.
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The University of Montana announced its major, multi-year
fund-raising campaign — “Invest in Discovery — Connecting
People, Programs and Place” — during two events Homecoming
weekend.
The campaign, the largest comprehensive effort in UM’s history,
has a goal of raising $100 million over the next several years. University
and UM Foundation administrators and volunteers raised $72 million before
taking the campaign public Sept. 30. The University’s last campaign,
“Ensuring a Tradition of Excellence,” raised $71.4 million
during 1992-1997.
The latest campaign kicked off with an invitation-only dinner at the Dennis
and Phyllis Washington Ranch Sept. 29, followed by a public event the
next day featuring James Grady, a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
and author of the famed book-turned-movie “Six Days of the Condor.”
In coming months UM representatives will travel the state and nation to
meet with alumni and friends to present campaign priorities and report
on progress.
Of the $100 million goal, nearly half is designated for renovation of
existing classrooms and laboratories, as well as construction of new buildings,
such as Don Anderson Hall — a new home for the School of Journalism
— and a Native American Center. Goals for remaining priorities are
evenly divided among undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships,
faculty positions and new academic programs.
“UM students — students from throughout the state —
will be the true beneficiaries of a successful campaign,” said National
Campaign Chair Deborah McWhinney of Tiburon, Calif. “Our success,
and theirs, depends upon us involving alumni and friends everywhere by
encouraging people to ‘Invest in Discovery’ through this fund-raising
effort.”
Her cabinet members are Mickey Sogard of Bigfork, Charlie Oliver of Hamilton
and Priscilla Gilkey of Spokane.
For more information or to contribute, call the UM Foundation at (406)
243-2593 or (800) 443-2593 or visit http://www.umt.edu/umf.
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