​‘Because this is Auburn’ campaign reaches 83 percent of its goal

The “Because This is Auburn” Campaign has reached 83 percent of its goal, earning $839.9 million in gifts, and is ahead of schedule according to Jane DiFolco Parker, president of the board of directors.

Parker said she has a positive outlook on the future of the campaign and reaching this goal.

“I think what it means is we definitely will be successful in achieving our billion dollar goal by the end of the campaign in December of 2016,” Parker said. “The question is how far past our goal can we go."

However, Parker said her personal goals for the campaign go beyond the $1 billion.

“It has always been my aspiration that we exceed our goal in the campaign, so we’ll see just see how much additional capacity we think there is for increased philanthropic support for Auburn University."

Visiting people, providing information and connecting potential donors to the correct people at Auburn are some of the jobs of the campaign’s team, according to Parker.

Parker also commended her colleagues, saying that their jobs included doing research, processing gifts, running reports and making travel arrangements.

“It is absolutely a team sport," Parker said. "It’s not about the work of any one or two people. It’s about all the peoples in this office that do really good work on behalf of Auburn."

The donations made toward campaign include a $57 million gift from John and Rosemary Brown that will go toward a performing arts center for the University.

Parker said this will be a “game-changer” and a “gem” to both the University and community.

The Student Achievement Center for the College of Engineering will also be among the benefits of the campaign.

Parker said it will help create the “best student-centered engineering experience in the country," and will help achieve Dean Roberts' vision for the engineering school.

There is not one single factor that has led to the campaign's success, according to Parker; she said her and her colleagues have been very intentional in their process of engaging people with the University and telling them their story and about the campaign.

“What’s really important in our work is one: developing relationships with people. People don’t give to institutions, they give to people. So, the relationships we develop on the behalf of Auburn University are really, really important, and we're very intentional about that,” Parker said.

“And secondly, we’re very donor-focused. It’s all about what our probable donors care about,” Parker said. “It’s not about what we need, what Auburn needs, but it’s more about facilitating conversations about what’s happening at Auburn University”.

These conversations resonate with certain possible donors based on what they are passionate about and how they want to have a positive impact on an institution like Auburn University, according to Parker.

Parker said that dollar targets and road maps keep them focused as does researching people with connections to Auburn, businesses and other nonprofit endeavors that link to what’s happening at Auburn.

“It’s a highly complex field," Parker said. "We always say development is both an art and science."

Parker said there is not an individual part of the campaign she is most excited for because of how many benefits she believes it will have on the University.

“The Auburn Family has been extremely generous in this campaign," Parker said. "People recognize that there is really important work going on at Auburn University, and it really matters, so I think that’s manifesting itself in the very generous support we’re seeing in the campaign."