Campaign Initiatives
The Light the World campaign's transformational vision is made real through four key initiaves. Click on the links below to learn more.
1. $1.5 billion for vital priorities
Light the World will enable the University to expand its endowment for financial aid; to erect new academic buildings and other facilities for students; to hire 100 new faculty members; and to expand research initiatives. View the breakdown of priorities.
2. Expanding volunteer service to Boston College
Boston College has always benefited from alumni who are committed to their alma mater. To reach its campaign goals, BC must draw more alumni and parents to volunteer roles that have a tangible impact on the University's advancement.
3. 40,000 alumni giving each and every year
Boston College graduates understand the value of working together. Light the World seeks to inspire record numbers of alumni to give back to the University each year. The campaign's goal is 40,000 annual donors and a participation rate of at least 35 percent.
4. Providing for future generations
To ensure that the University is prepared for future growth, the campaign aims to secure legacy gifts from BC alumni, parents, and friends.
$1.5 billion for vital priorities
Light the World is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of Jesuit, Catholic education—both in terms of its financial goal and the impact that support will have on the University’s future.
In many ways, the campaign is an investment in the Boston College student experience, enabling the University to expand its endowment for financial aid; to erect new classroom buildings, residence halls, and other facilities; and to establish new endeavors that will benefit undergraduates, such as the Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Center for Student Formation, among others.
Light the World will also allow the University to hire 100 new faculty members; to expand research initiatives, especially those that seek interdisciplinary solutions to pressing societal needs; and to become the worldwide leader in Catholic higher education. Boston College’s new School of Theology and Ministry, launched in June 2008, is one of many steps toward the fulfillment of this goal.
Expanding volunteer service to Boston College
Boston College has always benefited from alumni who have remained committed to the Heights long after graduation. However, to achieve its goals, BC must draw more of its alumni and parents to volunteer roles that have a tangible impact on the University’s advancement.
There are opportunities to provide networking connections for students and recent graduates, to host faculty and Jesuits at events nationwide, to plan reunions and alumni chapter gatherings, and to support the ministry of Boston College.
By volunteering in these areas and others, alumni and parents continue to be "men and women for others" and ensure BC's success well into the future.
40,000 Alumni Giving Each and Every Year
Boston College graduates understand the strength in numbers. From freshman convocation to commencement day and from football games to reunions, BC alumni wear their maroon and gold on their sleeves. To be successful, Light the World seeks to utilize this power and inspire record numbers of alumni to give back to the University each year. The campaign’s specific goal is 40,000 annual donors and a participation rate of at least 35 percent.
While this goal may seem ambitious, it remains within reach, especially when alumni consider the positive impact each and every gift has on BC’s mission. In fact, gifts of $100 or less last year totaled $1.8 million. Nicole DeBlois ’99, cochair of the Maroon and GOLD initiative for Graduates Of the Last Decade, is one of many young alums who give annually, and she encourages others to do the same. "To compete effectively, to serve society, to support the work of its faculty and students, Boston College must draw on the collective power of all of our gifts—the resources, energy, and confidence we provide cannot be overstated," she says.
Providing for Future Generations
While current investments are critical to the University’s success in the coming decade, it is no less important to guarantee BC’s wider future. Therefore, Boston College alumni, parents, and friends are encouraged to make legacy gifts to the University through the Light the World campaign. These gifts ensure that BC will be prepared for future growth and enable alumni to create a meaningful and permanent connection to the Heights. Among the many who have already taken up the challenge are Janet and David Griffith '68, P'00, '02, '06, who view their bequest intention as "our message to future generations of BC students; our way of ensuring that what we care about will be passed on."