Imagine having a three-touchdown lead before the opening kickoff and you can understand the excitement that permeated the boardroom at Mississippi University for Women’s Welty Hall on Tuesday afternoon.

About a dozen people gathered as MUW President Nora Miller announced the kickoff for the university’s first-ever major gift campaign, an effort that hopes to raise $25 million by its end in 2024.

Although Tuesday marked The W’s introduction of the fundraising project, it has been ongoing since 2016 under the direction of Miller’s predecessor Jim Borsig. Miller officially became MUW’s 15th president in February 2019 with the campaign already underway.

“During the silent phase of this campaign we have raised over $18 million of the goal,” Miller said Tuesday. “Today, we are kicking off the public phase of the campaign, which we are calling ‘Be the Light.’”

Miller said the headstart on fundraising is established practice in higher education giving campaigns.

“The rule of thumb is that you raise at least half of the money before going public,” Miller said. “So with $18 million in gifts, we are well on our way to meeting that goal. We aren’t there yet, so over the next three years, we’re going to be promoting the campaign through events and other things. We have three years to reach our goal, so there’s work left to do.”

Miller said funds collected through the Be The Light campaign will be used in four areas: scholarships, athletics, facilities/programs and the university’s endowment.

By far, the biggest portion of the funds — $18 million — will be used for scholarships.

Incoming MUW Foundation chair Jenny Katool stressed the importance of scholarships.

“The cost of tuition and fees to attend MUW for one year is over $7,500,” she noted. “When I attended The W, and I won’t tell you the year it was, it was approximately $1,400 annually. If my math is correct, that’s over a 400-percent increase. This is significant to say the least.”

Miller said based on using 4 percent of that $18 million annually, which would represent interest accrued on the funds, the university would have roughly $720,000 in new scholarship money each year.

In addition to scholarships, the campaign will devote $2 million to athletics, $3 million to facilities and programs and $2 million for the university’s endowment, which is currently $50 million.

Miller said a large portion of the money raised for athletics will be devoted to building an on-campus baseball field. She said the money for facilities does not include funding new buildings, but it will be used for upgrades at current facilities, along with expanding The W’s online educational programs and providing more out-of-classroom opportunities, including its study-abroad program.

Each of the four areas to receive funding are the university’s response to an ever-changing higher education landscape, Miller said.

“Throughout our history, we have adapted to the challenges of change, holding to our commitment that we study by light to bless with light,” Miller said. “This campaign will allow us to bless by light the future generations our university serves.”

Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].