UWP receives $600,000 Kresge Challenge Grant
PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has been awarded a $600,000 Challenge Grant from The Kresge Foundation toward the construction of the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science facility, which is scheduled to be completed in December 2008.
"We applaud your efforts to build paths of opportunity within your community," said Rip Rapson, president of The Kresge Foundation. "Ensuring the health and vitality of nonprofit organizations such as yours is central to building strong, vibrant communities. We are proud to help your very important work."
The grant was made to UWP on a challenge basis to help in its efforts to raise the balance of the approximately $1.7 million needed to complete funding of the facility by Jan. 1, 2009. In fact, one of the criteria in receiving the grant was that the UWP Foundation demonstrate a strategic plan for raising money for additional private gifts, including gifts from new donors. Dennis Cooley, assistant chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UW-Platteville Foundation, said the Kresge Grant will be an important incentive in UWP's campaign to raise the additional funds.
"This grant will be of tremendous help to illustrate to potential new donors what a worthy investment this facility is and how their support will help. We feel very fortunate that The Kresge Foundation understands that this is not just a building, but rather as Mr. Rapson said, a 'path of opportunity,' " said Cooley.
The university's efforts have included friend and fundraising strategies to identify and steward donors, phone and face-to-face visits, establishing naming opportunities, and securing key people and contributions to challenge engineering alumni for support. A key strategy, explained Cooley, has been to help donors become more philanthropically minded by helping them to connect more closely or re-connect with UWP.
"We had a wonderful time with the 'M' Step Project, which allowed alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university to make gifts that also left a legacy at the 'M' and UWP. That showed us how much we can get done when people feel involved and invested, and we plan to continue our strategy of reaching out to alumni and our friends in business and industry to complete this building project," he said.
The new state-of-the-art, three story, 108,500 gross square foot engineering building includes 22 labs, nine classrooms and 32 faculty offices as well as space for UWP's MEMS/nanotechnology programs, biomedical engineering and other technology based programs. UWP is also serving additional students, many who are enrolled through the Tri-State Initiative, which will increase the number of students pursuing professional degrees in engineering, mathematics, science, business administration, construction management and other technical fields. UWP's enrollment is expected to increase to around 8,000 students by the year 2011.
Chancellor David Markee said he is thankful for the grant and proud that the UWP ethic was in keeping with Kresge's nine core principles in grantmaking: creating opportunity, community impact, institutional transformation, risk, environmental conservation, innovation, collaboration, underserved geography and diversity.
"We share these values and have been working for years to increase our impact on this region by providing students with leading edge opportunities and sending them out into their communities to keep the cycle of innovation and collaboration growing. We are grateful to The Kresge Foundation for this show of support and we will continue to work hard to provide the quality of education people have come to expect from UWP," he said.
The Kresge Foundation supports communities by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services, and community development. In 2006, the foundation approved 230 grants throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa, totaling $152 million.
Anyone interested in learning more about the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Sciences new facility may contact Cooley at (608) 342-1309 or cooleyde@uwplatt.edu.
Contact: Dennis Cooley, UWP assistant chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UW-Platteville Foundation, (608) 342-1309, cooleyde@uwplatt.edu Written By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu
"We applaud your efforts to build paths of opportunity within your community," said Rip Rapson, president of The Kresge Foundation. "Ensuring the health and vitality of nonprofit organizations such as yours is central to building strong, vibrant communities. We are proud to help your very important work."
The grant was made to UWP on a challenge basis to help in its efforts to raise the balance of the approximately $1.7 million needed to complete funding of the facility by Jan. 1, 2009. In fact, one of the criteria in receiving the grant was that the UWP Foundation demonstrate a strategic plan for raising money for additional private gifts, including gifts from new donors. Dennis Cooley, assistant chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UW-Platteville Foundation, said the Kresge Grant will be an important incentive in UWP's campaign to raise the additional funds.
"This grant will be of tremendous help to illustrate to potential new donors what a worthy investment this facility is and how their support will help. We feel very fortunate that The Kresge Foundation understands that this is not just a building, but rather as Mr. Rapson said, a 'path of opportunity,' " said Cooley.
The university's efforts have included friend and fundraising strategies to identify and steward donors, phone and face-to-face visits, establishing naming opportunities, and securing key people and contributions to challenge engineering alumni for support. A key strategy, explained Cooley, has been to help donors become more philanthropically minded by helping them to connect more closely or re-connect with UWP.
"We had a wonderful time with the 'M' Step Project, which allowed alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university to make gifts that also left a legacy at the 'M' and UWP. That showed us how much we can get done when people feel involved and invested, and we plan to continue our strategy of reaching out to alumni and our friends in business and industry to complete this building project," he said.
The new state-of-the-art, three story, 108,500 gross square foot engineering building includes 22 labs, nine classrooms and 32 faculty offices as well as space for UWP's MEMS/nanotechnology programs, biomedical engineering and other technology based programs. UWP is also serving additional students, many who are enrolled through the Tri-State Initiative, which will increase the number of students pursuing professional degrees in engineering, mathematics, science, business administration, construction management and other technical fields. UWP's enrollment is expected to increase to around 8,000 students by the year 2011.
Chancellor David Markee said he is thankful for the grant and proud that the UWP ethic was in keeping with Kresge's nine core principles in grantmaking: creating opportunity, community impact, institutional transformation, risk, environmental conservation, innovation, collaboration, underserved geography and diversity.
"We share these values and have been working for years to increase our impact on this region by providing students with leading edge opportunities and sending them out into their communities to keep the cycle of innovation and collaboration growing. We are grateful to The Kresge Foundation for this show of support and we will continue to work hard to provide the quality of education people have come to expect from UWP," he said.
The Kresge Foundation supports communities by building the capacity of nonprofit organizations in six fields: health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services, and community development. In 2006, the foundation approved 230 grants throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa, totaling $152 million.
Anyone interested in learning more about the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Sciences new facility may contact Cooley at (608) 342-1309 or cooleyde@uwplatt.edu.
Contact: Dennis Cooley, UWP assistant chancellor for University Advancement and executive director of the UW-Platteville Foundation, (608) 342-1309, cooleyde@uwplatt.edu Written By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu
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