Sign gauges how much money Fisk raises.NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Twelve months of belt tightening and fundraising has paid off for Fisk University. All the hard work has brought the school back from the brink of financial disaster.
Fisk needed to raise at least $4 million to receive a $2 million grant from the Andrew Mellon Foundation. The gauge outside of Fisk University shows they school reached that goal. Everyone involved raised even a little more than they need.
This fiscal year the university will be able to raise $8.3 million in donated money. Last year, Fisk only raised $3.2 million. This influx of funds came from every corner of the Nashville university, every corner of the country, and for the first time, about a third of the money came from the Nashville community that decided to pitch in.
"Looking at it, or looking it over again, [they] decided what major foundations had already decided. And that was that this university is worth not only a second look, but worth the support," said Fisk University President Hazel O'Leary.
President O'Leary said a school similar to Fisk raises about $7.3 million a year. So, this fiscal year, the university is a million dollars above that average. Over the past twelve months, Fisk students not only had to worry about their grades, but these financial problems also weighed heavy on their minds.
