During five days of on-the-road fundraising across the country, representatives of the alumni association and college development offices have brought the College Revival Fund up to a current total of “between 14 and 15 million dollar,” says treasurer of the alumni association, Rick Daily.
The money raised over the past week, according to Daily, consists of pledges that will become available by the end of the academic year. “There’s a lot of cash coming in, part of which is from people making good on their pledges,” he explains, “which makes a it a bit difficult to count right now.” Although money coming in from various fundraising teams and initiatives makes it difficult to announce an exact number, he is positive the total amount is “around 15 million.”
Daily himself is part of the team of fundraisers that hit the road last Friday, which includes head of development for the College, Risa Grimes, as well as alumni Ina Frank and Matthew Derr. The group is working in different combinations throughout the country, depending on who is available in the various target areas that day. “On Monday I was on the road with Ina [Frank], today I’m with Dave Goodwin, class of ’55.” Grimes said in a phone interview while on the road in Oregon. “Dave’s from Oregon and he did a lot of fundraising for Glen Helen.”
Grimes so far has visited five major donors and is energized by the outcome: “We’ve just sat in a man’s office for 20 minutes telling us how Antioch changed his life; things are going very, very well.”
The team has another week to raise an additional $5 million to round the total up to $20 million. This is the amount the Alumni Board wants to bring to the negotiating table at the decisive meeting with the University Board of Trustees, on October 24-28, that will determine whether the suspension of operations, scheduled for June 2008, will be lifted and recruiting for new students can begin.