Rich Baek

Pilots Give: Help Support Ignite Grants

March 23, 2018

The deadline for Faculty Ignite Grants is the end of March, but that doesn’t mean the Office of Development will quit raising money for this great cause. For Pilots Give, UP regent and 1993 alumnus Rich Baek has stepped up with a $25,000 matching gift to encourage participation in UP’s first Day of Giving on April 4 and 5. As part of this challenge, he is donating $10,000 towards the Faculty Ignite Grants. After 1,000 donors have stepped up, $10,000 will be released for the Ignite Grants for Faculty Innovation. Managed by the Office of the Provost, Ignite Grants support new ideas and approaches for course, curriculum, and program development that make an innovative contribution to UP’s teaching and learning future. To learn more about Rich’s gift, use this link.

The Ignite Grant Fund will be listed as part of the Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation campaign for Pilots Give. Donors, including alumni, parents, students, and faculty and staff, can all select this important fund during the Pilots Give event. The Ignite Grants are part of a new initiative to support development and innovative teaching and learning on campus. The development office has raised $35,000 to date, with a $25,000 match from the provost’s office. The plan is to keep raising money and build funds for this important initiative.

Faculty and Staff are encouraged to participate in Pilots Give. They can make their annual gift, volunteer at campus events, or attend events in support of the campaign. The goal for the 24-hour fundraiser is to reach 1,000 donors and unlock over $100,000 in matching gift challenges that have already been secured. Twelve campus campaigns have been set up to support faculty and student success—now we just need our community to step and support this wonderful event for UP.

Questions? Contact Amy Eaton at x8551 or eatona@up.edu or visit visit the Pilots Give page.

Rich Baek Going For GOLD

June 9, 2014

University regent and alumnus Rich Baek has extended his challenge to young alumni to help raise funds for the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center, which broke ground in May. His first challenge was to donate $50,000 to the center if 601 GOLD alumni (Graduates Of the Last Decade) donated to the University by June 1, 2014. The 601 figure was designed to highlight the deadline (6/01) of the challenge, which was met two months early, according to Leanne Goolsby, associate director of annual giving.

Baek is now increasing his donation, offering an additional $100 to the Beauchamp Center for each additional GOLD donor by June 30, 2014. GOLDs can make their donation to any area of the University and still be eligible for Baek’s match. As of June 1, the total number of young alumni who have responded to Baek’s challenge is 702, according to Goolsby. More information about the 601- GOLD Challenge can be found at www.up.edu/601.

Gifts made to the Beauchamp Center are included in the University’s RISE Campaign, which was announced in December 2010 and with a goal of raising $175 million by the end of the campaign on June 30. The campaign has raised nearly $181 million to date and is one of the largest development campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private college or university. For more information contact development at 7395 or hanna@up.edu.

601 Challenge Benefits New Recreation Center

January 13, 2014

University regent and alumnus Rich Baek is challenging young alumni to help raise funds for the University’s proposed Recreation & Wellness Center, set to break ground in May 2014. Baek will make a gift of $50,000 to the center if 601 GOLD alumni (Graduates Of the Last Decade) donate to the University by June 1, 2014. The 601 figure highlights the deadline (6/01) of the challenge. More information about the 601- GOLD Challenge can be found at www.up.edu/601.

The new center will be named in honor of University president Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., who has announced he will step down as president at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. Set for completion in May 2015, the Beauchamp Center will reside on what is now a parking lot at the corner of North Portsmouth and Strong avenues. Currently a total of $20.5 million has been raised for the center, estimated to cost $23 million. Renderings of the building can be found at http://tinyurl.com/kurlp7z.

As of mid-December, the total number of young alumni who have responded to Baek’s challenge is 375, representing 62 percent of the goal and totaling more than $49,000 in gifts, according to Leanne Goolsby, associate director of annual giving.

Baek is a 1993 (master’s in engineering) and 2002 (MBA) graduate of University of Portland. He is the founder and chairman of the VTM Group, one of the “100 best companies to work for” according to Oregon Business Magazine. He has been named Oregon Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration and has been named one of the “Forty under 40” by the Portland Business Journal. For more information contact the development office at 7395 or hanna@up.edu.