Tech Fundraising Campaign Underway, Raising Money Quietly To Begin

Tennessee Tech is in the midst of an eight-year fundraising campaign, but the official announcement will not come for three years.

Vice President for Advancement Kevin Braswell said the school wants to secure more than half of the fundraising goal before formally publicizing the campaign. Braswell said this is typical for this type of large fundraising campaign.

“There’s a quiet phase of several years in which President (Phil) Oldham, in this case, and I and other key leaders in the Campaign are working quietly behind the scenes, approaching our most loyal benefactors and prospective benefactors to line up support that would lead to an announcement,” Braswell said.

The designated start date for the campaign is July 1, 2020, and it will run through June 30, 2028. Braswell said the campaign will focus on the student experience, faculty support and scholarships.

“It communicates a sense of momentum and seriousness on the part of the institution to various audiences to hopefully enable them to conclude ‘Wow Tennessee Tech is really serious about this effort, and a lot of thought and work has already been done,'” Braswell said.

Braswell said the money will help, in part, to fund capital upgrades on campus. When projects begin, the state provides the lion’s share of the funding. Braswell said Tech has to come up with the rest.

“More and more, Tech is providing that margin of excellence, if you will, through philanthropic support,” Braswell said. “So, philanthropy makes a huge difference in what we’re able to do in every facility we’ve constructed whether its the Lab Science Commons or the next one that’s going to come on line which is the Ashraf Islam Engineering Building. That building is so named because one of our benefactors made a major commitment that allowed us to bring that project to completion. So, it’s very exciting.”

The investments make a difference. Braswell said students pick a university based on cost, academic quality and the look and feel of the campus.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the significant investments we’ve made in the campus to make it a more inviting space for students and families and community,” Braswell said. “And we think the campaign will be a shot in the arm to help us do even better and making the campus a place where people want to learn and study and discover more about themselves and the world around them.”