Momentum Builds During Quiet Phase in Anticipation of Launching The Campaign for Villanova
Totals from Preliminary Period Exceed $42 Million

Chris Kovolski ‘96

Gerald S.J. Cassidy, Esq. ‘63, Chairman of The Campaign for Villanova, announced that the University recently concluded the first year of preliminary fundraising activity in preparation for launching a comprehensive capital campaign, The Campaign for Villanova, in the next two years. 

Noted Cassidy, “Villanova has secured more than $42 million in quiet phase commitments to date in support of a series of strategic priorities that have been identified as critical to the future of the University.  These commitments demonstrate a strong measure of early support among our alumni, parents and friends for the University’s priorities, and help to direct our future fundraising efforts.”

The quiet phase is a preliminary fundraising and evaluation period designed to develop and establish campus-wide funding priorities, and attract early commitments to support them in advance of a comprehensive capital campaign.  During this period, volunteers from the University’s alumni, parents and friends are recruited and appointed to leadership roles to help define fundraising parameters and solicit commitments at key levels to support Villanova’s strategic priorities. 

“This period is critical to the overall success of any long term fundraising effort.  It provides an opportunity to evaluate early progress, measure support for the University’s strategic priorities and consider commitment projections.  These indicators provide The Steering Committee with a barometer for success as it considers a final fundraising goal and the ultimate timing of a public announcement for The Campaign for Villanova,” commented Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A. ’58, Villanova President.

Securing the Future of Villanova

Approval for quiet phase activity in anticipation of The Campaign for Villanova was approved by the University’s Board of Trustees in December 2000.  This approval came after the Board reviewed the results of a comprehensive study of key indicators first by an internal planning committee comprised of University leadership and then by a Task Force for Resource Planning convened by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.  These indicators, combined with the recommendations of the Task Force and the University’s high level of internal readiness to undertake such an effort, led the Board of Trustees to pass a resolution in December 2000 that established a set of working parameters for a new comprehensive capital campaign.  The resolution also allowed for the preliminary stages of quiet phase activity to begin under the direction of The Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee is charged with the overall management of all quiet phase and Campaign activity and has met regularly during the early stages of the quiet phase.  The Committee is comprised of key alumni, parents and friends and is joined by Father Dobbin and Elizandro.  The Steering Committee is led by Gerald S.J. Cassidy, Esq. ’63, who was appointed by Committee membership to be Campaign Chairman.

Remarked John M. Elizandro, vice president for institutional advancement, “More than $42 Million in commitments has been pledged to support University priorities in a little more than a year of quiet phase activity, representing more than 10% of an initial working goal currently identified as $200 Million.  Confirmation of this working goal, as well as the timing of a public Campaign announcement, are the key considerations of The Steering Committee as we progress through this preliminary period.” 

Cassidy added, “In the coming months, additional volunteers will be appointed to key roles, while commitments to Villanova are actively solicited at all levels.  We anticipate that the success of the quiet phase will continue as the University moves forward with its preliminary plans for The Campaign for Villanova.” 

The Quiet Phase: Building Momentum

To date, Campaign commitments have been made to meet needs throughout the University and include endowed faculty positions and student scholarships; gifts to provide critical resources for research; and unrestricted annual gifts to address needs throughout campus.  These early commitments have established critical momentum as Villanova proceeds through its quiet phase and will help attract additional support from alumni, parents and friends for strategic needs across campus. 

Commented Campaign Vice Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Leadership Gifts Committee William B. Finneran ’63, “Such support is critical as we seek to establish a foundation for moving forward with Campaign planning.  As this planning continues, The Steering Committee will consider this early progress and other benchmarks as it seeks to evaluate the timing for moving the Campaign into the public phase.”

Moving Forward: Building Upon Early Success

Building upon this foundation of early success will be the focus of campus and key volunteer leaders during the second year of the quiet phase.   In addition to the Steering Committee, both The Leadership Gifts Committee and The Major Gifts Committee will hold meetings in the early part of 2002.

Members of The Leadership Gifts Committee will convene in the Spring in California to focus on the identification and cultivation of commitments to support Villanova’s priorities at the leadership level - $1 Million and above. Working together with The Steering Committee and University leaders, the Leadership Gifts Committee is charged with leading the effort to secure such commitments, while recommending funding strategies that link leadership gifts prospects with named gift opportunities for capital and endowment purposes in the donor’s area of interest. 

“The work of this committee is extremely important, as more than 60% of the strategic priorities identified for funding are at the Leadership Gifts Level,” commented James C. Curvey ’57  Campaign Vice Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Leadership Gifts Committee.

Joining Co-Chairs Curvey and Finneran on the Leadership gifts Committee are Robert M. Birmingham ’66, James D. Danella ’71, William M. Gibson ’66, Gary M. Holloway ’76, Arthur J. Kania, Esq. ’56, James F. Orr III ’65, and Frank S. Scarpa ’56.

The Major Gifts Committee is also scheduled to meet this year in New York to consider the national scope of their efforts and develop regional solicitation strategies as they seek to secure gift commitments between $100, 000 and $1 Million.  Commitments at this level are critical to the overall success of the University’s fundraising efforts, as they provide the most opportunities to support Villanova through a gift to establish an endowment.  Volunteers are currently being recruited to this committee and will be appointed during the early part of this year. 

The Steering Committee will convene again in May to review the progress of these committees and monitor overall quiet phase activity.  With commitments being actively solicited at Major Gift and Leadership Gift levels, and a continued support for Villanova’s strategic priorities, The  Steering Committee should make significant progress toward achieving its objectives of confirming a working goal and establishing the timing of a public announcement for The Campaign for Villanova.

As quiet phase activity continues through a second year, expectations formed by analysis of both progress to date and future projections indicate that Villanova can anticipate securing an additional $30 Million in commitments to support University priorities by the close of 2002.  These commitments, when combined with first year totals, will further confirm that Villanova’s alumni, parents and friends support the University’s strategic priorities and its overall fundraising efforts. 

“While we are pleased with the momentum from this preliminary fundraising progress, it is critical that we continue to attract new levels of commitment to support the University’s strategic priorities,” Cassidy added.  “The success of funding these priorities and providing a competitive learning environment depends upon the continued support by the University’s alumni parents and friends.  Their leadership will determine Villanova’s future.”

The Campaign Gift Pyramid

Careful campaign planning requires an in-depth review of commitments necessary from all funding sources to satisfy the pressing needs of the University.  Villanova’s needs have been determined through a deliberate strategic planning process and have been organized based upon college or program and dollar amount.  Campaign gift tables are useful tools that are used to help understand the importance of commitments at all levels required to meet the needs of the University through The Campaign, while also reflecting anticipated capacity among its constituents

While traditional graphical representations of such gift tables have resembled pyramids with a balanced set of commitments at each level, the gift table model for The Campaign for Villanova indicates the need for critical, larger commitments at the Leadership level of $1 Million and above. The need for such gifts has evolved from both the assessment of the University’s priorities and the analysis of factors necessary to ensure Campaign success. 

Commitments made to The Campaign for Villanova at the Leadership Gifts Level will play a critical role in the success of the University’s fundraising efforts. Such gifts represent more than 66% of the anticipated funding pyramid (below) and currently comprise 40% of the University’s Campaign priorities.  Commitments at this level will benefit the entire University and Leadership gifts will meet such critical needs as creating endowed faculty chairs, establishing innovative curricula in each College, supporting Student Life and Campus Ministry initiatives, and providing increased opportunities for students to study abroad.  Successfully securing gifts at this key level will stimulate further commitments and provide critical, long-term resources to the University.

The Campaign for Villanova

Anticipated Gift Pyramid for $200 Million Working Goal