Campaign McGill reaches $400-million mark
Encouraging results reflect strong, worldwide support for the University
Six months after its public launch, Campaign McGill, one of the most ambitious fundraising initiatives ever undertaken by a Canadian university, has already reached the $400-million milestone.
Launched Oct. 18, 2007, Campaign McGill has the largest initial goal of any university fundraising campaign in Canadian history. The five-year comprehensive campaign seeks to raise at least $750 million to support the University’s top academic priorities. Reaching this goal will allow the McGill community to build on its legacy of excellence and achieve its ambitious objectives: advance health, build prosperity, create the next generation of science and technology, protect the environment and strengthen culture and civil society. In the “quiet phase,” the campaign raised $325 million.
"This is very encouraging. It has been only six months since the public launch of Campaign McGill," said McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum. "I am especially pleased to see this growing success in these times when competition for funding dollars is especially fierce. It reflects our success in delivering on McGill's special mission and the distinctive support that McGill receives from its alumni and friends in Montréal and across Canada but also around the world. We wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Campaign cabinet and many contributors.”
Marc Weinstein, McGill Vice-Principal (Development and Alumni Relations), cited the Campaign Executive Cabinet, including the three co-chairs, Senator Michael Meighen, Yves Fortier and Eugene McBurney, the international volunteer committees and “our dedicated alumni worldwide who have demonstrated tremendous support for McGill.”
“While reaching this milestone in the Campaign is encouraging, we recognize that much more remains to be done,” Weinstein said. “We will continue to move forward in our work, building upon our strengths to remain at the forefront of excellence in teaching and research and to ensure a stronger student experience at McGill for the years to come."
Because of McGill's unique identity among North American post-secondary institutions, its funding needs are also exceptional. McGill is the only Canadian university ranked among the world's Top 25 by the Times Higher Education Supplement for three years running.
For more than 185 years, Ď㽶ĘÓƵ has demonstrated its deep commitment to excellence in research and teaching aimed at improving the lives of citizens everywhere. McGill researchers, students and graduates have served Quebec, Canada and the world with distinction.
McGill, Canada’s leading university, has two campuses, 11 faculties, 10 professional schools, 300 programs of study and more than 33,000 students. Since 2000, more than 800 professors have been recruited to McGill to share their energy, ideas and cutting-edge research. McGill attracts students from more than 160 countries around the world. Almost half of McGill students claim a first language other than English – including 6,000 francophones – with more than 6,200 international students making up almost 20 per cent of the student body.