Alumni News

Back to the Heart - The Need for Fundraising

Securing our independence

What makes Illini Media unique among college media organizations is our truly independent status. We receive no financial support from the University or the state of Illinois; our advertising students generate all our income through sales of print and online advertising, commercial air time and yearbooks.

While it is an increasing challenge to self-support, Illini Media remains committed to operating without asking for outside funding. This economic and intellectual independence has allowed us to nurture self-starting, integrity-filled students who have gone on to become ethical journalists and media professionals throughout the world.

Current students

We have built our state-of-the-art facility to serve future generations of students. It will be a difficult burden for our current students to shoulder our building's start-up expenses. Our goal is to meet our financial obligations while maintaining excellence in resources and opportunities for our current students.

Illini Media Campaign

The feedback we've received from our media-savvy alums has confirmed both our long-term strategic goals and our confidence that 512 E. Green St. is the ideal location to fully realize our goals. Many alums have voiced the sentiment that they would appreciate the opportunity to give back to the organization that launched their professional careers and remains dear to their hearts.

This show of support instilled the confidence needed to move forward with ambitious plans for the future of our company and its students.

We've formed an executive committee for the Illini Media Campaign, comprised of alumni, board members, and staff. We are now looking for support from alumni, foundations, community members and friends of independent media.

Fundraising will be a crucial component of the budget for our building project:

• Illini Media investment (using cash reserves and the sale of our current building): $1,600,000
• Mortgage: $3,520,000
• Fundraising component: $500,000
• Total project cost (property and building): $5,620,000

While we have set an attainable initial fundraising goal of $500,000, ideally we would like to move toward retiring the entire mortgage, to allow our future students to operate without this financial burden.

Pledge Form