A Message from The Campaign for the Second Century Co-Chairs

The theme of this issue of our Campaign newsletter is “Beyond the Numbers, Beyond the Buildings: What Gifts Mean to our Students.” You will learn about some of our outstanding students and how The Campaign for the Second Century is helping to improve their lives. The Campaign was launched in 2004 and will continue through 2008, Montclair State’s centennial.

It’s official: The Campaign for the Second Century has now reached the $47.8 million mark toward our $50 million goal. We are well on our way to building a stronger future for Montclair State and its students, but much remains to be done.

In this time of declining state funding, we need to help Montclair State University keep its vital programs up and running. We need to grow the University to best serve the state of New Jersey and the region.

A few things you might not know: State support to Montclair State decreased from 54.2% of the University budget in 1995 to 32% in 2004. Sixty-two percent of our students had to take out student loans in 2004 because of the limited scholarship dollars available. Many of our students also work multiple jobs to continue their education here and build a better life for themselves and their families.

The University needs private funds from alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to remain competitive and offer the best education to our students, both today and tomorrow. Public higher education must remain affordable for bright, ambitious students, who have much to contribute to New Jersey and the world.

Gifts of all sizes are important to the Campaign. We are building a culture of giving among our alumni and friends that will serve Montclair State and its students well into the future.

One important but sometimes overlooked source of funds is planned giving. For example, have you thought about including Montclair State in your will? There are a number of ways to make a planned gift to MSU, including bequests, trusts and charitable gift annuities. In addition to providing funds for scholarships, programs and improvement of the campus, planned gifts can provide donors with tax benefits and guaranteed lifetime income.

For more information, please contact Jan Smith at 973-655-3439 or via e-mail at smithja@mail.montclair.edu.

At Montclair State University we are preparing the educational, business and community leaders of tomorrow.

Please join us in supporting MSU and The Campaign for the Second Century. On behalf of our students, we thank you for your support.

Paul V. Stahlin '74
Co-Chair
Campaign for the Second Century
Immediate Past Chair
MSU Foundation Board

Douglas L. Kennedy
Co-Chair
Campaign for the Second Century
Vice Chair
MSU Board of Trustees