U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE WILL KEYNOTE COPPER DOME EVENT SET TONIGHT

Membership in Southeast Missouri State University's Copper Dome Society has grown steadily since its inception nearly a decade ago.

The society comprises those who donate $100 or more annually to the institution through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

In the 1990-91 year, membership topped 2,400 and it's approaching that figure again this year, said Don Ford, university development director.

There are about 2,100 members in the society this year and that number is expected to climb before the end of the fiscal year on June 30, said Ford. Many people make their donations near the end of the fiscal year, he explained.

More than 500 Copper Dome members are expected to attend the society's spring dinner tonight at the Show Me Center. The event gets under way at 6:30, followed by dinner at 7.

U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. will be the featured speaker.

The annual dinner is held to recognize contributions of Copper Dome members, Ford said.

The success of the Copper Dome Society goes hand in hand with the university foundation. "This is the very important bread-and-butter membership of the university foundation," he said. "The Copper Dome membership is the backbone of our giving base."

Harry Rediger, Copper Dome chairman, said it's "gratifying" to see the continued growth in donor support of the university.

He said such support comes at a time when Southeast is faced with tight state funding.

"There are just a lot of things that have happened at the university that benefit higher education that wouldn't have happened without the foundation, particularly the Copper Dome Society," said Rediger.

Ford said Copper Dome membership climbed from 230 in its inaugural 1983-84 year to 2,408 in 1990-91.

Ford said the membership growth has showed a steady climb. In 1984-85, the society had 369 members; in 1985-86, 444; 1986-87, 557; 1987-88, 1,205; 1988-89, 1,635; and in 1989-90, 1,995.

Ford said the growth in the society reflects the university's success in raising funds.

"I think part of the answer is success breeds success," he said. "The Southeast Missouri University Foundation is a real success story. More and more people have become aware of it."

Ford pointed out that the foundation and the Copper Dome Society are in their ninth year.

"It's just kind of a natural phenomenon," he said. "As things become successful, more people want to jump on the bandwagon."

The success of the Copper Dome Society also mirrors the success of the university's capital campaign, which has raised more than $25.7 million so far in gifts and pledges.

The private phase of the campaign began in 1987. About $12 million was raised in that phase of the campaign. The public phase of the campaign, which began in September 1990, has raised more than $13 million, Ford said. Much of the money is being pledged over five years.

As part of the capital campaign, a telephone solicitation effort raised $1.4 million. The "telefund" drive ran from last August through April 1. "The average pledge was about $400 per donor over five years," said Ford.

He said that through the telephone solicitation effort, the university received contributions from over 2,000 new donors.

The solicitation effort was a "huge undertaking," said Ford, pointing out that it involved seven or eight calling sessions weekly with as many as 20 students manning phones at any one time.

While many of the new donors don't qualify for Copper Dome membership because of the relatively small size of their donations, Ford said their contributions are important to the overall fund-raising effort at Southeast.

The university also has a Copper Dome associates program to secure financial pledges from graduating seniors at Southeast. Copper Dome associates are graduating seniors who commit to pledges of $100 over three years.

"It is just getting off the ground," said Ford. "This year we are up 42 percent." The number of associates has increased from 152 last year to 216 this year.

Rediger said the university's fund-raising success is partly due to "an organized approach to getting out and telling the university story, and asking for support."