Southern Illinois University has set out to raise $75 million for scholarships and other support services over the next three years, including for student athletes.
SIU Director of Athletics Tommy Bell highlighted Forever SIU: The Campaign for Students in his May newsletter.
As Bell points out, the existing Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund (SASF) plays an important role in the university's athletic program. Every dollar donated toward that fund offsets the cost of a scholarship and frees up funding for building the university's athletics programs.
After Bell took the reins of the athletic department, the SASF increased membership by 110 members, to 990, and generated a 17.5 percent increase in donations, receiving $920,414 for scholarships during his first year. This year, the SASF is on the cusp of breaking $1 million in donations.
Bell and the development team are looking forward to restoring the university's flagship football and basketball programs to their former glory. SASF set a goal during the Forever SIU campaign to increase its membership to 1,500 members by 2020. The ultimate goal is to reach 2,000 members.
The SIU Foundation launched the SIU Forever campaign Jan. 1. It will end in December 2019, which is the university's 150th anniversary. Campaign co-chair Dan Korte said the foundation had already raised $33 million toward its final goal of $75 million.
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