The Moment Is Now: ������ Launches Public Phase of $100 Million Campaign

The University of Central Arkansas launched the public phase of the largest fundraising effort in university history on April 9. The campaign, ������ Now: Impact Arkansas and Beyond, is a comprehensive capital campaign with a goal of raising $100 million.

 

“Breaking through the ceiling of $100 million announces that our students, our faculty, our staff and our alumni belong in select company in American public higher education,” said ������ President Houston Davis. “It is about how big our aspirations can become and how this great university can further support the dreams of our students.”

In announcing the public phase of the eight-year campaign, the university also announced that $72.5 million has been raised toward the total goal of $100 million. The total includes a surprise announcement of a $3 million estate gift from longtime ������ supporters Rush ’76 and Linda Harding ’82. This gift brings their total giving to their university to $7.2 million, making them the highest individual donors to the university. The Hardings are serving as ������ Now campaign co-chairs for 2021.

The Harding family has an exceptional legacy at ������. The couple, two of their children, Shaylea ’06 and Payne ’09, and Rush’s parents, Buddy ’51 and Martha Stone Harding ’53, are all alumni of the university. Rush served on the ������ Board of Trustees for 21 years, including three terms as chair, and was named a Distinguished Alumni award recipient in 2007. Additionally, Linda and Rush were co-chairs of the university’s Centennial Campaign.

For more than 33 years, the Hardings have supported ������ through scholarships, programming support, endowed professorships and numerous sponsorships. Their gifts have also provided for two iconic campus locations: the Amphitheater in the Student Center Courtyard and Harding Centennial Fountain and Plaza where the campaign launch event was hosted.

In making remarks, Rush Harding said that ������, Conway and its people are all very special. “And, what makes it special are all of you, the stakeholders in this community and this university. Thank you for being a part of my life and a part of the life of my family. Thank you,” Rush said.

In appreciation of the Hardings’ gift to ������, the photography studio in the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts will be named the Linda Harding Photography Studio.

Because participation is so important to the success of the campaign, in addition to the monetary goal, the university set a participation goal of 15,000 individual active donors. Alumni, friends and others can support the campaign by contacting the ������ Division of Advancement at 501-450-3421 or ucanow@uca.edu or visiting .

Davis was joined at the campaign announcement by members of the ������ Board of Trustees; Mary Bane Lackie, vice president for University Advancement; Jeff Standridge ’90, chair of the ������ Foundation Board of Directors; university mascot Bruce D. Bear; and other special guests and alumni.

The celebratory event included high energy performances by the ������ Bear Marching Band. Hundreds of faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends and attendees tossed a commemorative coin into the Harding Centennial Fountain, symbolizing the value of participation.

Planning for ������ Now began in 2017 with a campaign study committee. Preparations included meeting with existing donors to understand their core values and priorities, developing a campaign fundraising plan that best connects donors with the university’s strengths and needs, expanding the donor base through increased engagement with alumni and friends and equipping the Advancement Division with the tools needed to meet fundraising goals. The campaign began its quiet phase in June 2016 and will conclude in July 2024.

These efforts produced tremendous results during the quiet phase of the campaign, resulting in the university exceeding its fundraising goals for four consecutive years, including raising $15.8 million in 2019-20 in spite of the pandemic, and it is on track to exceed the 2020-21 fundraising goal by June 30 of this year.

UCA has also seen significant growth in the number of seven-figure gifts and experienced strong support for capital projects including the Integrated Health Sciences Building, the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts and Greek Village II. Over the past seven years, ������’s combined annual Day of Giving efforts have raised more than $3.1 million in impact for students, the campus and community and established the university as the leader in the state for Day of Giving efforts. This year, ������ increased donor participation by 21%.

After setting the goal to surpass $1 million four years ago, the ������ Foundation now awards more than $1.5 million in private endowed scholarships annually.

UCA Now is the result of years of work; numerous conversations with alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students and community leaders; and countless meetings with campaign leadership teams and university marketing partner Eric Rob and Isaac.

“During our campaign readiness study, we were routinely told by individual donors and others that $40 million in an eight-year campaign was a reasonable goal, and the majority said that $50-60 million would be a stretch for a university like ������, but there were a few supporters that joined our internal leadership team in saying, ‘If not now, then when?’” said Davis. “If ever ������ was going to break through the $100 million level, why not now? The time is now and thus, ������ Now was born.”

UCA Now includes four campaign pillars: success, culture, wellness and excellence. Success is growing university endowments to remove financial barriers to student success. Culture distinguishes ������’s commitment to raising the bar for arts in central Arkansas, which will help usher in new social, cultural and economic opportunities for the region. Wellness signifies ������’s leadership in health care education and wellness in Arkansas. Excellence showcases the exceptional disciplines, partnerships and unique experiential experiences that contribute to student success and community growth.

“Real fundraising success is about participation,” Lackie said. “Every gift — large, small, individual, and corporate — adds up to huge impact.”