Citadel Foundation raises $250 million in historic anniversary campaign

May 13, 2018June 20, 2018last updated on June 20, 2018 at 07:47 Campus Life News Releases

Results outpace initial $175 million goal for 175th Anniversary

The Citadel Foundation has successfully completed the most ambitious fundraising effort in the college’s 175-year history. The six-year Foundation for Leadership campaign sought to raise $175 million to celebrate the college’s milestone anniversary. It concluded this week with a record-breaking total of $250,690,056 to support The LEAD Plan 2018, the college’s strategic plan led by the president of The Citadel, Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa, who will retire June 30.

The foundation hosted a celebration of the campaign’s success on campus May 12, honoring the 20,784 donors who contributed.

“Our alumni, friends and community partners stepped forward in force to support this campaign, investing an astonishing quarter of a billion dollars in the future of The Citadel,” said Rosa. “This historic campaign will help ensure a Citadel education remains accessible to men and women with a profound interest in leadership learning and academic excellence through the values-based education we provide.”

The Foundation for Leadership campaign focused on five priority areas deemed vital for enhancing the college and ensuring its continued success: leadership and the cadet experience, academic excellence, athletics, facilities and strategic growth. A sixth category of legacy giving tracked bequests and estate gifts to each priority area that will be realized in future years. By enhancing these campus priorities, the campaign helps secure the continuation of The Citadel’s reputation as the preeminent college of principled leadership in the nation.

“When we launched this campaign, we chose an ambitious goal of $175 million with the loyalty and commitment of our alumni and friends in mind,” said Bud Watts, chairman of The Citadel Foundation Board of Directors and co-chair of the Foundation for Leadership campaign. “Surpassing this goal by such a wide margin is a remarkable testament to both their generosity and the depth of their support for The Citadel and its mission of educating principled leaders.”

Watts, a member of The Citadel Class of 1983, also credited The Citadel Foundation’s staff for its expertise in matching the philanthropic interests of donors with the strategic needs of the college, a linchpin of the campaign’s unprecedented success.

Supported by a steering committee of 33 committed volunteers, the campaign reflects both the generosity and the loyalty of countless individuals. “The dedication and commitment of our alumni and friends speaks volumes to how they feel about the institution and its position of importance in South Carolina and our nation in developing principled leaders,” said Dr. John P. “Jay” Dowd, III, CEO of The Citadel Foundation and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at The Citadel. “I could not be more proud of the efforts put forth by the team of professionals at The Citadel Foundation to meet and exceed the campaign priorities. A true team effort.”

The Citadel Foundation proudly thanks the thousands of alumni, parents, friends, corporations, faculty and staff who stepped forward with their support to lay the foundation for The Citadel’s future.

Foundation for Leadership campaign summary

Total Amount Raised: $250,690,056

Initial Goal: $175,000,000

Percentage of goal achieved: 143%

The Foundation for Leadership campaign supported five key segments of The Citadel with specific advancement objectives and exceeded the original overall goal by almost $76 million. Here is a breakdown of how campaign funding is already making an impact on campus:

Leadership and the Cadet Experience