LAU launches public phase of Campaign for Excellence
“The Legacy and the Promise: LAU’s Campaign for Excellence” entered its public phase October 31, 2008 with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and around 600 LAU community members in attendance, including dignitaries, alumni, donors and friends, at a gala dinner in Beirut.
Donor support during the two-year “quiet phase” of the first comprehensive fundraising initiative in LAU’s history augured well, as 90% of the original goal had been raised in that period. The revised $65 million goal was announced at the public launching.
“When people have faith in what it is you are doing, they are ready to be part of that. They are ready to be part of a success story, and ours is a very successful story,” said LAU President Joseph Jabbra.
The dinner itself was not a fundraising event, said Samir Kadi, Assistant Vice President for Development. It was “only a way to celebrate together that we have achieved more than half of the campaign’s initial objective to raise $40 million,” he added.
“We’re excited about where LAU is headed and the tremendous strides that the university has made over the last couple of years both in its growth and in the quality of education it provides,” said Richard Rumsey, Vice President for University Advancement.
Although it is kicking off during one of the most challenging economic times in decades, the campaign will continue to be compelling to donors because of the university’s uniqueness, according to Robert Hollback, Director of Development for North America. “LAU has a long history of providing an American-style liberal arts education to students in the Middle East, and we’re one of only a handful of universities doing this in the region. This mandate is something that differentiates us from so many other universities,” he said.
“Education is the best investment that anybody can make in the future not only of this country but of this region,” said Jabbra.
