DePaul launched Mission:Forward, a five-year fundraising campaign to raise $650 million dollars to fund things like scholarships, athletics, faculty and research, in order to encourage the university community to make lasting change, which is in line with DePaul’s Vincentian mission, according to the university.

Established upon five pillars that inform four foundational cornerstones, the campaign aims to encourage philanthropists and donors to fund DePaul’s goal of being a model for higher education by supporting and providing valuable resources. DePaul is also currently facing budget challenges due to a drop in international student enrollment, the need for financial aid and rising healthcare costs. 

The Mission:Forward campaign is a direct extension of Designing DePaul, an initiative with strategic plans to be a national model for higher education set by President Robert Manuel. According to Katie Fraumann, the senior vice president for the Division of Advancement and External Relations, work on the campaign began two years ago. 

“As everyone knows, higher education is in a challenging moment,” Fraumann said. “I can’t think of a better time to help people understand and help people to continue to understand why we are such a relevant case for support.”

Mission:Forward also comes at a time where some universities can no longer count on federal funding due to cuts threatened by the Trump administration if they do not agree to certain terms. 

Vincent Peña, the College of Communication’s member of the Faculty Campaign Advisory Council, said that because DePaul is not heavily reliant on federal funds, the university looks to the generosity of donors and alumni. 

Peña hopes this campaign will strengthen aspects of the university and will show how DePaul can lead by example. 

“It allows us to expand on the things that we’re already doing. Not backtrack, or stand down in the face of these increasing pressures or increasing criticisms of higher education,” Peña said. “How can DePaul be an example to others?” 

The work on the campaign was a collaborative process, including several committees: the National Campaign Committee, which includes the Executive Committee, Campaign Co-Chairs and Honorary Co-Chairs, Staff Campaign Ambassador Committee, and Faculty Campaign Advisory Council, and the Executive Committee.

Peña said the creation of Mission:Forward is an example of shared governance at DePaul, and it is important to have collaboration from various departments because of the perspectives offered. 

“We’re not staff and we’re not students. There’s only so much we see, or from our angle it’s limited,” Peña said. 

Fraumann said she has talked to SGA leadership about the organization’s involvement within this campaign in order to gain a student perspective.

“It’s difficult to, with anything, define what represents a group of several thousand people.” Peña said. “But I think we landed on the things that I think we all agree with. We found the five things that speak to the mission.” 

The campaign is based on five pillars that provide an overall vision for the campaign: educate to lead and serve, build economic opportunity, shape sustainable futures, drive ethical tech and overcome barriers to health. 

Kurtis Todd, College of Science and Health member of the Staff Campaign Ambassador Committee, said the educating to lead and serve pillar will support students in becoming changemakers. 

“We as DePaul need to make our mark and let people know and understand what it means for graduates of DePaul to go out into the future and really make a change,” Todd said. 

The campaign’s four foundational cornerstones are in place as ways donors can help support the five pillars. The cornerstones are: expanding access and scholarships, elevating athletics, cultivating faculty and research and building learning environments. 

DePaul’s last large fundraising effort, “Now We Must” in 2020, raised $150 million after setting the goal of $60 million. According to Fraumann, the “Now We Must” campaign mainly honed in on student support during a time of emergency during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Mission:Forward, however, is a longer campaign and extends to all aspects of the university with a more comprehensive list of priorities. DePaul’s Vincentian values were present in both campaigns. 

“If we think about mission as who we always have been, who we always will be, as our foundation, the forward piece represents our path forward and what needs to be done,” Fraumann said. 

Fraumann said she hopes to surpass the $650 million dollar goal. 

“I hope that everyone really feels, over the next five years, that they’re experiencing a culture of philanthropy being built at DePaul.” Fraumann said. “I really hope everyone feels the impact of philanthropy at DePaul and they see some of those things come to life.” 

Todd says the campaign is already resonating with the community and setting DePaul apart. 

“People are beginning to understand what it means for a person to work at DePaul, and for students who are graduates of DePaul, when they carry that DePaul degree forward, it’s not just the idea of being an intellectual, and having the skills and knowledge.” Todd said. “But it’s also in how they apply that to change the community. That’s the distinction that DePaul provides.” 

Donations have already been made through Mission:Forward, including the Congregation of the Mission Gift, $10 million gift from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation, and $3 million gift from Michael and Barbara Scudder to health science and athletics programs.

“I’m so proud of where we are today,” Fraumann said. “I’m so proud of this entire university and everyone that continues to be a part of creating this philanthropic culture here at DePaul.” 

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