Missouri State University Foundation has reached a significant milestone, raising over $20 million for the seventh consecutive year and setting a new annual record by raising nearly $36 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. With almost 20,000 donors giving gifts in the past year, the foundation is celebrating this achievement and thanking alumni and friends for their support.
Brent Dunn, the executive director of the MSU Foundation, highlighted the impact of private support on the university, noting that it has become integral to campus life. Funds raised have benefited various areas, including student scholarships, faculty support, and capital projects such as the Judith Enyeart Reynolds Center for Arts and Humanities, Roy Blunt Hall, and the Wulff-Risner Agriculture Science Center.
The foundation, established 43 years ago, has seen a significant increase in giving over the years, with private support playing a crucial role in supporting students and campus development. Dunn attributed this success to the growth of the university’s alumni base, improved engagement with graduates and supporters, and a shift in perception towards private giving being essential to the university’s operations.
In addition to the record-breaking fundraising efforts, the relationship between the university and the MSU Foundation underwent a change this year. The foundation sold its downtown Springfield home to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and will soon break ground on the Clifton M. Smart University Advancement Center, which will be primarily used by the MSU Foundation and located on the main Springfield campus.
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