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Cheryl L. Kight - Vice President, Marketing

Columbus, September 5, 2007

Timken Leads OFIC $4 Million Campaign to Benefit Ohio Independent Colleges

                                          
Ward J. Timken, President, Timken Foundation of Canton, led The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ (OFIC) 2006-2007 Annual Campaign, which raised $4,015,203 surpassing its goal.  Money raised will benefit OFIC’s 35 member colleges and universities by providing funding for scholarships, educational programming and collaborative efforts.  The total represents 110% of the campaign goal and a 17% increase over last year’s total.   Campaign donors totaled 751, an increase of 3.7% over the previous year.

Dan Anderson, President, Retail Group, The Andersons, Inc. and OFIC Board Chair, commented, “Among all of the state foundations committed to the support of independent higher education, OFIC has historically been one of the most successful fundraisers.  We are grateful for the enthusiastic and outstanding leadership provided by Jack Timken as 2006-2007 Statewide Campaign Chair, and we are deeply appreciative of the dedicated efforts of OFIC’s approximately 400 campaign volunteers.  OFIC and its member colleges are greatly indebted to these individuals for all that they accomplished in support our nearly 97,000 students”.

One of the largest providers of scholarships in the State of Ohio, OFIC is presenting a record 1,000 scholarships to students enrolled in its member colleges for the upcoming year.   Jeffrey S. Wolf, OFIC President, stated, “Thanks to the generosity of Ohio’s donors, OFIC is able to provide a record number of scholarships for the 2007-2008 academic year.  With the reduction in state funding for the Ohio Student Choice Grants, financial support from Ohio’s corporations and foundations makes a significant difference in the lives of our students”.

Funding provided by OFIC donors has also facilitated the implementation of programs designed to increase both minority student recruitment and retention, and member campuses have been significantly impacted by the programs’ success during the past several years.  For example, the average Fall 2006-07 persistence rate for retention project participants was 95% versus 87% for non-participants.  More than 4,500 individuals were impacted by these programs in 2006-2007. 

Other campaign highlights include five new endowments established this past year with a gift value of $787,000.  Interest from these endowments provides OFIC member colleges with a long term source of income.   OFIC reached a five-year high in the number of increased gifts and the number of new gifts received and also saw a five-year low in the number of decreased gifts and gift declines. 

OFIC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 35 independent Ohio colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll more than 97,000 students.   For 57 years The Foundation has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education.  Through contributions raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations OFIC has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship assistance, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in independent higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 35 member colleges.

The member colleges are:  Antioch College, Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.