The largest and most successful fundraising effort in Bradley University’s history, the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance, has concluded, raising a record $161,206,751.

Launched publicly in April 2008 with a goal of $150 million, the Renaissance Campaign provides essential resources for scholarships, academic and curricular development, construction and renovation of facilities, and endowment support.

Caterpillar Inc. provided the largest donation in the University’s history with a lead gift of $30 million. Nearly 29,000 donors worldwide, including almost 8,000 first-time contributors, joined the Peoria-based corporation in supporting the effort.

“We took our vision for Bradley’s future from coast to coast, meeting with alumni and friends, to ask them to imagine with us what we’ll do next,” said Bradley University President Joanne K. Glasser. “We don’t have to imagine any longer because of the many academic and physical developments from the Campaign. The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance has been everything we hoped for and more.”

Including Caterpillar’s gift, 29 donors contributed $1 million or more. More than 16,000 alumni, representing 26 percent of living alumni, donated nearly $60 million to the campaign. Also notable was the support from current and retired faculty and staff who committed $3.1 million to the effort.

“We are profoundly grateful to all of our donors – alumni, friends and corporations – for making the transformation of our campus and curriculum possible so that we can meet the needs of students, faculty and alumni now and well into the future,” Glasser said.

Since the beginning of the Campaign four campus buildings have been completed – the Markin Family Student Recreation Center; the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center; the Main Street parking deck; and the Renaissance Coliseum. The expansion and renovation of Westlake Hall — the campaign’s fifth building project – will be finished in 2012. An alumni quad is under development.

In addition to the construction projects, 79 new scholarships were created, $52 million was directed toward academic and operational enhancements, and $30 million was earmarked to increase the University’s endowment which now approaches $250 million. The Renaissance Campaign began accumulating gifts and commitments in June 2005.

“These are amazing achievements that have been made possible by the people who believe in Bradley and our vision to become a university of national distinction,” said Gerald Shaheen, chairman of the Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance. “I believe this campaign is a turning point for Bradley, an effort that will serve as a catalyst, propelling Bradley toward national distinction.”

The Campaign for a Bradley Renaissance, the largest in Bradley’s history, is the University’s third consecutive successful campaign. In the 1980s, The Campaign for Bradley raised $31.7 million. In the 1990s, the Centennial Campaign collected $127.4 million, the most substantial Bradley fundraising effort at the time.