Queen's kicked off the Initiative Campaign with a celebratory event at Grant Hall in September 2012. 

The Queen’s Initiative Campaign has added another $30 million to its coffers since formally launching in September 2012. It is now well on track to reach its goal of raising a half-billion dollars for the university by 2016.

“I continue to be inspired by the generosity of our alumni and friends as we work towards our financial goal,” says Principal Daniel Woolf, who has been devoting a quarter of his time to meeting with potential donors since the campaign’s launch. “Philanthropic support will continue to be a crucial part of our success in positioning Queen’s for continued excellence.”

The Initiative Campaign is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s 171-year history. Three hundred and thirty million has already been pledged towards the goal, which seeks to raise a total of $500 million, along with $100 million in planned estate giving. The campaign also seeks to raise the university’s national and international profile by highlighting the research and accomplishments of Queen’s faculty and students. After kicking off in Kingston, campaign launches were held through the fall in Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary.

The money raised will be directed to support university priorities in the areas of undergraduate and graduate support. It will help fund classroom renovations, mental health initiatives, and blended learning initiatives within first-year programs in Arts and Science. Campaign money will also be used for endeavours like expanding the university’s holdings at the Queen’s University Biological Station on Lake Opinicon, and developing programs in Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, along with funding professorships, positions for teaching assistants, and research.

Among the most recent donations is $1 million from Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader. The money will be used to create a fund in honour of Robert Charles Wallace, who served as the university’s 11th Principal from 1936-1951. That fund will support refugee and international students who want to study at Queen’s.

“Our success of the Initiative Campaign to-date is really an expression of confidence from our benefactors,” says Vice Principal (Advancement) Tom Harris. “They believe in Queen’s and they not only support what we’re doing, but they also see the vast potential in our people.”

Click here to read some of the stories at the heart of the Queen’s Initiative Campaign.