The University of Illinois Foundation discussed plans to double annual donations, even after last year’s record-setting total, at its annual meeting at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 18.

“We’re an institution that has an incredible role in society. We want to make this place as great as it can be,” said UIF President Thomas Farrell.

UIF is an agency that handles University fundraising efforts and incoming donations. Farrell said the average annual funding the foundation has received the last three years from alumni and other donations has been around $210 million, but the goal is to raise that number to around $450 million seven to 10 years from now.

Right now, UIF is deliberating over the budget and how to bring in more donations, but Farrell said the new plan will be in action around January 2014.

“We’re ready to go. It’s time to carry this plan out the next six years,” said Vice Chancellor for Development Jeff Lorber.

The staff at UIF refer to themselves as people trying to bring color to the University’s “vision.”

“We want to connect our vision as directly as possible to the chancellor, vice chancellor, deans, and the president,” Farrell said.

To do that, UIF wants to increase the yearly donations from alumni. As of now, nearly 47,000 alumni actively donate each year.

“The alumni have been very supportive,” Farrell said. “Our interest, though, is to better connect with them and improve what is a pretty good base. If you compare our level of engagement to other Big Ten institutions, there is room for improvement. It’s good, but we’d like it to be better.”

Last year, the foundation received key donations from the Grainger Foundation for $100 million, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $25 million, and State Farm, in the agreement regarding the name change of Assembly Hall, for $60 million.

Vice President Don Kojich said the Gates family approached UIF when they were looking to donate to the University’s program designed to improve crop photosynthesis.

“That’s unusual because with most foundations you approach them,” he said.

Farrell said he tries to reach out to alumni so he can help them feel more connected to the campus, and it’s that familial relationship that drives donations. The same thing applies to wealthy foundations, he said.

When millions of dollars are involved, the process of donating takes awhile.

“The vast majority of it is all about building those relationships. These types of gifts don’t happen overnight,” Kojich said.

Taylor Polydore, a junior in Media who made phone calls to ask for donations last year, said that the more donations the foundation got, the more involved the alumni were.

“You give them incentives to go to games,” she said. “They say, ‘oh, I give this much money, and they’ll give me a ticket.’”

It’s these relationships that are piecing together the University that Chancellor Phyllis Wise wants to see, Farrell said.

“We’re responding to her vision,” he said.  “And our goal is to try to raise money and support that plan which helps make that dream become a reality.”

Stanton can be reached at [email protected].