Nursing campaign nears fund goal

The School of Nursing’s fundraising campaign is on its way to reaching its conclusion — along with its $75 million target.

Entitled “Where Science Leads,” the campaign has already raised $69 million that will be allocated toward various projects within the Nursing School.

The funds raised are going toward four main goals: capital priorities, student support, faculty support and research programs.

Plans include the renovation of Claire M. Fagin Hall to “create a green environment for faculty and students,” according to Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis.

“Some people refer to it as a ‘capital campaign,’ thinking it’s just to raise funds for the building,” said Meleis, “but it’s not.”

To that end, 20 percent of the funds are being allocated toward student support in the form of undergraduate scholarships, financial aid and graduate fellowship endowments.

“No student should not be able to come to Penn Nursing because they cannot afford it,” said Meleis. “The funds from this campaign aim to ensure that this is not the case for prospective students.”

Artika Rangan, Associate Director of Communications in the dean’s office, added that this campaign was “unique to Penn Nursing” because freshmen and sophomores would also have the opportunity to benefit from these funds for their research.

If the Nursing School is able to reach a $73.5 million total through fundraising, the last $1.5 million will be supplied by the Kresge Foundation, which has been known for supporting organizations that improve the lives of the communities around them.

“Penn Nursing was recognized for making a tangible impact in Philadelphia and beyond,” said Rangan.

Wylie Thomas, the Nursing School’s Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, noted that Kresge Foundation funds have never before been allocated toward the school, so the donation represents an “endorsement” of the school.

Nursing faculty and students are involved in several projects in the West Philadelphia community, as well as some that transcend the borders of Philadelphia to Botswana, South Africa, Hong Kong and New Orleans.

While the economic crisis has displayed donors’ “caution in terms of when people are going to make commitments,” said Thomas, donations toward the fund have been steadily increasing each month.

Donations have been coming in not just from Nursing School alumni, but from alumni across all of the University’s schools.

According to Thomas, the campaign has also “brought the Nursing family closer together” by mobilizing the whole school together.

“The best thing we can do, leaving this campaign, is to have started a next generation of philanthropy, a next generation of people who want to get involved with the school,” she added.

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