Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Brookings Seeks to Raise $600 Million

The Brookings Institution today announced the launch of a fundraising initiative called the Second Century Campaign, which seeks to raise a record-breaking $600 million ahead of Brooking's centenary in 2016.

As part of the fundraising campaign, the think tank also launched the so-called Jefferson Imperative - a commitment to help engage citizens in the governance of their nations and their world.

Brookings says that it is already collected close to $400 million for the campaign.  The think tank has noted that 100% of its Board of Trustees have already donated for the campaign.

Brookings has said that it is seeking gifts for the following investments: 

  • Ensuring Quality: Endowment and durable funds to enable Brookings to continue attracting the best scholars across academic disciplines and areas of policy expertise  
  • Sustaining Independence: Expanded strategic initiative funds for Brookings’s President and research Vice Presidents that provide secure, unrestricted funding to advance high-quality research  
  • Maximizing Impact: Investments in outreach, social media, digital technology, and other impact tools and strategies to ensure that Brookings research reaches influential audiences in government, the private sector, and the media
  • Provide Program Support: Resources for specific research projects and initiatives across the Institution’s five programs
  • Strengthen the Annual Fund: Unrestricted general operating funds for Brookings’s greatest needs

Here is a video about the Second Century Campaign.  Here is how you can give to the Campaign.

The Chair of the Second Century Campaign is Glenn Hutchins.  He is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Brookings.  Here is a statement he made about the Campaign.

Other institutions have held "Second Century Campaigns," such as Southern Methodist University (SMU), which just announced it has reached its $750 million fundraising goal.

The Brookings Institution was recently ranked as the best think tank in the world by the annual University of Pennsylvania think tank rankings.