Bearing the Torch

After the conclusion of the "Norwich Forever" campaign last year, the alumni relations department is beginning a new campaign this year called "Bearing the Torch," according to the vice president of development and alumni relations.

"Bearing the Torch is the name we've given to the university's fundraising efforts for the calendar years 2010, 2011 and 2012," said Dave Whaley, vice president of development and alumni relations: "We have a goal to raise 420.2 million, raising approximately 7 million each year."

"At the end of this campaign, three years from now at Alumni weekend, we'll be celebrating the grand total of the campaign," said Will Passalacqua, Norwich director of alumni and family relations.

The Bearing the Torch campaign will support and fund multiple Norwich assets on and off campus. "Some of this campaign is for student life support, academics and scholarships, while some of it is for the operating budget, and some will come as gifts in the future," Whaley said.

The Bearing the Torch campaign is split into six major sections, each prioritized towards the university's goals: Academic programs, planned gifts, student life, scholarships, capital projects and unrestricted funds.

"We have one person already who has given us $25,000 to start a scholarship," Whaley said. "So that scholarship will be available immediately, including any proceeds from that scholarship."

Academic support includes funding summer programs, installing advanced audio-visual technology throughout the campus and academic building renovations, according to a brochure released to all possible donors and alumni.

According to the brochure, over $2.2 million is dedicated to academic pursuits.

"We have some people who have already given us half the money towards the Center for Civic Engagement," Whaley said. "These are just a few examples of how we can fund, support and grow our academic abilities here at Norwich."

The next portion of the campaign is planned gifts, money that will be seen in the future.

"Planned gifts would include deferred gifts; for example, if I were to put Norwich into my will, so that when I die, the university receives those funds, that would be money we would receive in the future," Whaley said.

Around $1 million will be devoted to planned gifts.         

Student life projects are meant to involve the students of Norwich, with the activities that surround them.

"In our plans for student life, we intend to fund residential life programs, student clubs and specialty units within the corps, including Drill Team, Cavalry, Band and Artillery," Whaley said.

"We also want to fund the new LEAD program, offered currently on a pilot basis. This program is meant to reach out to all students, to teach the lessons of leadership from a collegiate environment." Whaley said.

He said $2 million will be set aside for student life programs.

Over $1 million is being set aside from the Bearing the Torch campaign to fund scholarships.

The two major capital projects for the Bearing the Torch campaign are the renovations of Sabine Field and the development of an outdoor recreational area at the bottom of the former ski hill.

"We want a new multi-sports synthetic surface field, capable of playing football, soccer, rugby and lacrosse," said Brig. Gen. Kelley, commandant of cadets and vice president for student affairs. "A track, new stands, new press box, lights and a new maintenance facility to replace that gray shack at the western end of the field."

"Being that physical fitness is an essential element of the Norwich experience, we need to develop an outdoor recreation spot for the school," Whaley said. "It will include a four-season network of hiking and mountain biking trails."

The capital projects planned to enhance student's outdoor recreation will cost over $6.2 million.

The last section of the Bearing the Torch campaign is unrestricted funds, money set aside to be used for daily operations, salaries and other unexpected expenses. These unrestricted funds come to $7.8 million.

 "Every campaign is paid for predominately by alumni, we will be having some help from foundations as well," Passalacqua said. "There's also some corporate support, there's parents, and then there's friends."

Since the Norwich Forever campaign finished a year early, the Bearing the Torch campaign is a year ahead of schedule: "The Bearing the Torch campaign is what, in fundraising we call, a "quiet phase," said Hilary Davis, director of class relations and individual giving.

"When you close a major campaign, usually you spend about three years prepping for the next major campaign," said Davis. "In that, we try to raise part of the money to fund the next campaign as well."

With the tight economy, philanthropy is down, requiring a campaign of smaller magnitude than Norwich Forever, such as Bearing the Torch, to be put into effect.

"Of course, we all want this campaign to be a success, like the Norwich Forever campaign," said Lauren Wobby, Norwich chief financial officer. "The national trend is working against us in terms of philanthropy, giving is down, and it's down in our industry."

"If this campaign is not successful, it won't be from a lack of effort and time," Wobby said. "It will only be from hard economic times, and factors we cannot control."

"I see this campaign as being a success for us, and look at all these wonderful projects we will be funding!" Wobby said.