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Ivy Tech nearing campaign goal
Donations for a new Ivy Tech facility in Greencastle have come in much quicker than expected, giving officials reason to celebrate on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, officials set out to raise slightly less than $2 million to pay for computers, teaching equipment and other pieces of technology for the new 32,000-square-foot campus scheduled to open in 2010.
With the addition of a $300,000 donation this week by Greencastle's Citizens Advisory Commission for Industrial Development (CACFID) and $15,000 from Endeavor Communications, Ivy Tech was launched to within $500,000 of its $1.9 million goa.
"I am just overwhelmed at how committed this community is to Ivy Tech," Ivy Tech Region 7 Chancellor Jeff Pittman said. "We entered into this thing thinking it might be an 18 to 24-month process, but we are really moving along quickly."
Ivy Tech recently opened up the donation drive to private donors and CACFID members have stepped up with a commitment that they hope will encourage more of those donors to come forward.
For any business or industry that steps up with a donation for Ivy Tech's capital campaign, CACFID will match it with a donation to Ivy Tech, up to $300,000. For instance, if a company gives $5,000, CACFID will chip in another $5,000 to make that donation worth $10,000.
Pittman said that some donors like to specify what their money is used for. A lot of them like to put money toward scholarships for students or traditional "brick and mortar" items.
Pittman is very optimistic that the Greencastle community will pull together to help Ivy Tech complete, and perhaps exceed its goal.
"I think it's going to go over the top," he said. "We have moved so far so fast."
On Wednesday, a group of Ivy Tech and city officials gathered at city hall to receive the two donations. They included Ivy Tech's President Tom Snyder, Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray, CACFID Chairman Bob Hutchings and Endeavor President/CEO Michael East.
"This community has always tried to take advantage of economic opportunities," Hutchings said. "These are critical times for communities, especially ones the size of Greencastle. It's important that we invest in our future."
East said he attended a meeting where Mayor Murray was asking companies to support Ivy Tech's capital campaign.
"It was an easy decision for us to make," he said. "We at Endeavor Communications are honored to be a part of this."
Ivy Tech President Snyder said that he sat down with Pittman months ago to talk about the importance of a campus in Greencastle.
"It doesn't take too many drives between Terre Haute and Indianapolis to see there is a significant distance between the two," Snyder said, adding his support for a new and expanded Greencastle campus. The current campus shares space with Area 30 Career Center and F.B Distro, across from Wal-Mart.
Mayor Murray called Ivy Tech's new campus "the most important economic possibility we've had come to our community in a long time."
Once complete, the new $8.6 million campus will have programs for health, business, liberal arts and early childhood education with an extensive presence of Workforce and Economic Development.
The new campus will serve 1,000 each year, which is an increase of more than 50 percent from current enrollment.
"By the time we open the doors in 2010, we'll probably be close to having this facility full," Pittman said.