In the face of a struggling economy, NIU actively is seeking private funds.

As evidenced by the glistening new Barsema Hall, these funds can make a substantial difference to the university.

“Every operation in the university is looking for donor money,” said Eddie Williams, executive vice president of Finance and Facilities. “When you have the College of Business do what it did in getting funds for Barsema, it makes the rest of the departments very interested.”

Mallory Simpson heads the NIU Foundation, which seeks and manages private funds.

Dollars raised from private sources do not go to the basic operations of the university, she said. The money goes to things like endowed scholarships and building projects.

During the last fiscal year, the university raised $12.8 million in private funds, but this year it might not raise as much because of a tight economy, Simpson said.

“Philanthropy in general is flat,” she said. “We’re taking a pragmatic approach. We realize the conditions are not so good right now for giving.”

Although other universities around the nation are embarking on multi-million dollar campaigns to raise money, NIU has no set goal right now. Simpson said the university is in the early stages of thinking of such a campaign.

Only 39 percent of NIU’s budget comes from state support, according the NIU Foundation Web site.

“We look for private money to fill in the gaps; state money only goes so far,” Simpson said.

Both Simpson and Williams expressed support for continuing to seek donor money.

“We have to carry the message to alumni that this is a great university,” Williams said. “We need to strengthen our resolve in light of this tough economy.”

One way NIU carries this message is through the Huskie Telefund – an extensive telemarketing program through which students call alumni to solicit money.

The telefund has collected more than $1 million in pledges each year for the last couple of years, said Jennifer Czarnecki, assistant director of annual giving.

Individual departments sometimes put pressure on the telefund to increase donations raised because their budgets have been cut.