What is ‘Raise the Torch?’
Raise the Torch is a fundraising campaign Florida State initiated in 2014 to promote the university’s progress and gain donations toward our high achieving programs.
Currently, FSU continues to make advances in academics and research that allow the university to be nationally recognized for providing an excellent experience in higher education for nearly 40,000 students annually. This year alone, the university prevails with the best four-year graduation rate in the entire state of Florida at 68.4 percent.
However, these advances can’t happen without copious funding, and despite the sizable income that the university sees each year in students’ tuition dollars, their largest source of revenue that goes beyond financing the day to day operations of the school is fundraising.
So, in October of 2014, Florida State launched Raise the Torch with four main goals in mind:
- To Inspire, Engage and Transform the Next Generation of Students
- Power a Great University to New Academic Heights
- Encourage Innovation, Creativity and Discovery
- Improve the Public Good
Previously, FSU has generated only two other major campaigns. Their first comprehensive campaign, Investment in Learning, lasted between 1991 and 1996 raising around $300 million. Then from 2001 to 2005, FSU raised $630 million with the Connect campaign, surmounting their prior fundraising targets.
This time around, they set the ground-breaking goal of raising a whopping $1 billion dollars over the course of four years.
What can you do with a billion dollars?
The real question is what can’t you do? $1 billion dollars could get you anything from a private island to over a lifetime supply of Egg McMuffin meals (200,000 to be exact). Heck, you could probably pay for the tuition of every single student at FSU this semester with room to spare and make yourself the most loved person of your graduating class.
In this case, with their initial goals in mind, FSU will be putting the money raised toward funding varying programs and projects that will positively impact Florida State and its students. Many of which will continue to empower many Collegiettes like yourself to have a meaningful experience and increased opportunities. This includes Presidential Scholars, Global Scholars, Garnet and Gold Scholar Society and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. Additionally, FSU will be able to attract more award-winning faculty, increase entrepreneurial training for students and strengthen the interdisciplinary research we have to offer.
Finally, a unique aspect of the project is that it allows donors to direct their gifts towards the specific departments they find interest in, engaging our alumni and supporters to continue to learn more about all that we do at Florida State!
Big Reveal
As the campaign comes to the end of its duration, in less than two weeks on Sept. 21, they will reveal the total funds raised for the university, and there will be a celebratory event at Westcott building for the donors of the campaign.
To learn more visit their website and stay tuned for the big reveal of the project’s success!