Office of Development prepares to launch silent phase of CCRI Capital Campaign

The CCRI Capital Campaign is dedicated to the first step of UMMC’s CCRI plan which is to build a new state-of-the-art facility. The Office of Development (OOD) has been working diligently to help make this first step come to fruition.

Lauren Engle, director of special projects, Suzanne Thigpen, associate director of special projects, along with Meredith Aldridge, executive director of the OOD, are leading the campaign fundraising efforts.

In June of 2023, OOD hired two new employees and created a special projects team that will be fully committed to raising funds for the CCRI Capital Campaign. 

The team is preparing to launch the silent phase of the campaign in August 2024. The campaign fundraising goal is anticipated to be announced at that time, with the OOD's aim to raise 60% of the total campaign goal during this phase. 

Over the past year, the team has been dedicated to creating the campaign and getting buy-in from local community and business leaders. They’ve hired an outside marketing firm to develop campaign materials such as a case for support, tagline and other materials that are necessary to execute a successful campaign of this size.

Moreover, the team has begun cultivating principal gift ($1,000,000+) donors through introductory meetings with Drs. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and Rodney Rocconi, CCRI director. They are also in the process of forming a CCRI Campaign Committee which will be a committed, small group of 8 to 12 business and community leaders throughout Mississippi.

In essence, the OOD is energized and feels honored to play a role in UMMC ensuring all Mississippians have access to leading-edge cancer treatment and research.