Metro to launch major fundraiser

By Perry Swanson
The Metropolitan

Colorado corporations are ready to donate money to higher education, and Metro is ready to accept it.
The Metropolitan State College of Denver Foundation, Inc. will begin a fundraising push called the ãMajor Gifts Campaignä later this year to solicit donations from local businesses.

Administrators say the campaign marks a turning point for the collegeâs relationship with local business and could raise more than $10 million for scholarships and academic programs.

ãThe importance (of this campaign) cannot be understated because it will substantially change the course of the institution for the better,ä said Carolyn Schaefer, vice president for Institutional Advancement.

According to the foundationâs 1995-96 annual report, Metro received $1.6 million in donations, including over $10,000 from major corporations such as Hewlett-Packard, Philip Morris, Standard & Poorâs and 21 other companies or individuals.

The foundation is a non-profit organization and is the go-between for donors and the school. Schaefer said the board is separate from the college so companies can claim a tax deduction on their donations to Metro.

The foundation board will meet in late October to decide exactly what programs and scholarships to raise money for. They have already outlined four goals, including increasing retention and graduation rates, and building up Metroâs programs in teaching, small business administration and hospitality management.

Metro President Sheila Kaplan will serve as the collegeâs chief saleswoman by going into the local business community to ask for donations for the school. Kaplan said selling Metro is an easy pitch to make since Metro has so much to offer the business community.

Kaplan and Schaefer agree that the stakes are high if Metro fails to raise its target amount, which has not been set.

ãYou cannot fail at your first Major Gifts Campaign,ä Schaefer said. ãTo fail at your first one means that you most likely donât go back to the well for at least 10 to 15 years.ä

Kaplan said Metro would have to wait a generation before starting a major campaign again. She said she would not be able to get business leaders to commit to serving the board again if their most concerted attempt to raise money for the college foundation fails.

The foundation board is made up of 35 business leaders from major Colorado companies, including US West, United Airlines, KeyBank of Colorado, Colorado National Bank and Robinson Dairy.