U of I fundraising campaign brings in nearly $2.5 billion

URBANA, Ill. — The University of Illinois Foundation says its Brilliant Futures fundraising campaign ended with nearly $2.5 billion in pledges.

The foundation said Thursday that the campaign closed out at nearly $2.43 billion, or nearly $180 million more than its original goal of $2.25 billion. The campaign ran from July 2003 until this past December. Of that money, $1.6 billion will go to the Urbana-Champaign campus, $676 million to the University of Illinois at Chicago and nearly $29 million to the University of Illinois in Springfield.

The remaining $54 million goes to the foundation and administration purposes. The money will pay for scholarships, fellowships, academic programs and research.

The foundation is the university’s fundraising arm.