UIF/UI Advancement Team Operations - COVID-19 Weekly Update 04.17.20

Dear Colleagues:

This spring is certainly like no other we have ever experienced.  Even though times are uncertain, I hope you and your families are taking time to enjoy the April flowers blooming and the leaves slowly emerging from trees in your yards and neighborhoods.

Spring is also the time for annual budget planning, and the preparations for FY 2021 are well underway at the Foundation and our universities.  Although the COVID-19 crisis threw a curveball of uncertainty into our planning, the Foundation is moving forward with as much of a “business-as-usual” process as possible. Please be reassured knowing we have weathered budget difficulties in the past, and we recognize the measure of how we endure tough times will be through the strength of our people and how we treat them.

For those of you who are typically on the road visiting donors, I am sure the travel restrictions have been a change of pace.  However, being grounded hasn’t kept you from staying in touch with your donors. I hear wonderful anecdotes about the efforts you are making to reach out to our donors in new and different ways to ensure they are doing well and staying connected to the University of Illinois. Keep up the good work!  Your creativity, dedication, and loyalty are greatly appreciated.

The University of Illinois continues to be an amazing place, even during this unprecedented crisis. Our faculty and staff are on the front-lines fighting COVID-19, and just yesterday, President Killen announced the creation of the Students FIRST: COVID-19 Emergency Fund, a new, $36 million financial aid fund for students. In my book, you are all just as heroic by remaining steadfast in your commitment to doing our work to help advance the University of Illinois.  THANK YOU AGAIN!

Be well and have a great weekend!

All the best,

Jim