Villanova University’s five-year capital campaign, which had aimed to raise $600 million, recently passed the $750 million mark, writes Michelle Caffrey for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

“For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change” started in the fall of 2013 and is set to wrap up May 31.

One of the things that has helped has been the rise of the men’s basketball team, which has won two of the last three national championships. While it’s hard to assign an exact figure to the team’s success, Mike O’Neill, senior vice president for university advancement, said it’s clear that the Wildcats have motivated people to donate.

[uam_ad id=”52851″]

Advertisement

The capital campaign was envisioned in 2009 by Villanova’s president, the Rev. Peter Donohue, as part of a larger plan for the school. The strategic plan was laid out during the Great Recession, and the campaign started as the markets recovered.

“We felt the market would rebound at some point, which it did,” said O’Neill. “You match that with a good economic climate and a really strong vision, that’s really a one-two punch.”

Read more about Villanova’s capital campaign in the Philadelphia Business Journal by clicking here.

[uam_ad id=”58327″]