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A Watershed Moment
When the campaign started seven years
ago, there was no Wharton West, no
Huntsman Hall, no global alliance with
INSEAD, and there were more limited teaching
and research programs in key areas such as bio-sciences,
entrepreneurship and retailing. While buildings,
programs, professorships and scholarships are the most
tangible legacy of the capital campaign, its impact was
deeper than can be represented in statistics of donors or
dollars.
"A good campaign raises a lot of money; a great campaign
transforms an institution," said Steven Oliveira,
Associate Dean for External Affairs. "The Campaign for
Sustained Leadership has transformed Wharton. This
campaign succeeded because of the broad participation of
the whole community, with gifts large and small. It was
this level of grassroots enthusiasm and energy that
allowed Wharton to 'defy gravity' by raising the most
funds in its history during one of the most challenging
economic periods in recent memory. This momentum
across the entire community was so great that we raised
$15 million during the last 10 days of the campaign
alone – with only two gifts above $1 million – illustrating
that every gift, no matter the size, counts. This was a
watershed moment for the School."
The participation of more than 23,000 alumni in the
campaign also represents the strengthening of one of the
largest and broadest alumni networks in the world. Some
86 percent of faculty contributed to the campaign and a
record 98 percent of the second-year MBA class gave
nearly half a million dollars for an unrestricted class gift
to The Wharton Fund. "What I'm really proud about is
that this was a community effort," Harker said. "The
alumni stepping forward, the students with their class
gifts, and the faculty feeling so committed to the School
that they gave back. That is the most heartwarming part
of this campaign – how the entire community came
together and made this a success."
The Wharton World Tour
The story of the success of the capital campaign is not
centered in Philadelphia or San Francisco. The story is
everywhere there are Wharton graduates and programs,
which is to say, everywhere in the world. The ubiquity
and strength of the Wharton community was demonstrated
in a whirlwind road tour by Dean Harker in a
series of 50 Wharton Connect events on four continents.
It was an intense pace that might have exhausted the
most veteran musician, but it left Harker and many
alumni feeling energized and increased contributions
from these regions.
In Chicago, Harker was struck by alumnus John
Thompson, WG'67, who spent the entire day traveling
by train to attend one of the first Connect events. "That
was replayed in city after city, people coming and wanting
to reconnect to a school that changed their lives,"
Harker said. "We need their commitment. They are the
ambassadors of the School. The way they live their lives,
the way they talk about the School – that is the story of
the School."
"It was a big event for alumni," said Marc Wolpow,
W'80, founder and co-CEO of Audax Group, who
sponsored and spoke at the Connect event in Boston.
"It was the first time we came together in any significant
way in downtown Boston."
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