Seven years and more than $1 billion later, The Campaign for Syracuse University concluded with the release of its final numbers last week.

The campaign, also known as the billion-dollar campaign, announced it had raised a total of $1,044,352,779.

“At the end of the day, the entire campus community should feel really good about achieving success,” said Brian Sischo, vice president for development and campaign director. “It’s really an exciting outcome for what was a lot of work, but it’s symbolic of what Syracuse University is all about.”

The campaign, which was developed in 2005 and launched in 2007, had the goal of raising a billion dollars collectively through five categories: student access and support, faculty excellence, cross connections, building futures and annual support.

Of the five categories, the campaign failed to reach its goal in only one: building futures. In addition, although the campaign exceeded its overall goal, much of the money raised is in the form of pledges, which the university has not yet received. But as SU officials look toward the school’s next fundraising effort, campaign organizers agree this one was a success and will affect the university for years to come.

At the beginning of the campaign, SU officials set the category goals by predicting what the university’s priorities would be, Sischo said. The goal for building futures was set at $225 million, although only $171,206,320 was raised. But through the course of the seven-year campaign, these priorities “ebb and flow,” he said.

In addition, many of the capital projects this category is meant to fund are ongoing, he said. Sischo cited the College of Law’s new building, Dineen Hall, as an example of this, noting that fundraising for this project is continuous.

“My sense in that particular category is that there are projects that extend beyond the period of the campaign,” he said. “The total dollars raised will likely exceed the original target. It just won’t happen during the initial timeframe of the campaign.”

The university will also receive money after the initial timeframe because many donations came through pledges, said Craig Dudczak, a communication and rhetorical studies professor and chair of the University Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Affairs.

“It’s not like the university has a check for a billion dollars,” he said.

Some of these pledges might take a few years to come in, while others could take even longer, as many donors include these pledges in their wills, Dudczak said.

“We don’t wish our donors to die,” he said. “But some of the money comes on expiration.”

Sischo said the university has received about 60 percent of the money. Of the remaining 40 percent, Sischo said he expects SU will receive 80-85 percent of it within the next five years.

“I think this is one of the misnomers about campaigns,” he said. “Some would believe that all billion dollars is in hand and sitting in a safe somewhere, and that’s not really how it works.”

Some parts of campus will feel the effects of the campaign more than others, Dudczak said, as much of the campaign money is already designated for specific purposes.

David Falk’s $15 million donation to the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in 2011 is one example of this, he said. While this donation counted as a part of the billion-dollar campaign, it will largely affect students in Falk and might not be as significant for others on campus, Dudczak said.

Nonetheless, Dudczak said fundraising campaigns are important and represent one way the university funds financial aid for students.

The campaign helped establish new scholarships and increased institutionally funded financial aid for undergraduates by 87 percent, according to the campaign’s website.

Although the campaign is officially finished, that doesn’t mean the job is done, said Sischo, campaign director. Going forward, SU will focus on raising money for financial aid, faculty support, several ongoing building projects and upcoming athletic projects, he said.

Fundraising is also important as the campus prepares for the arrival of a new chancellor, as Chancellor Nancy Cantor will step down next spring, Sischo said.

But Sischo said Cantor’s departure won’t significantly affect fundraising, as her vision of Scholarship in Action is well ingrained within SU and will provide a strong foundation for the next chancellor.

Regardless of future fundraising campaigns, Sischo said the university community should be happy with its efforts to make the campaign a success.

Said Sischo: “The impact of this campaign will be felt by the students and the faculty for years to come, and it’s something that we should all be really proud of.”

Published on April 10, 2013 at 12:01 am

Contact Jessica: jliannet@syr.edu | @JessicaIannetta