The Kresge Foundation, an independent, private foundation that provides grants to nonprofit institutions worldwide, has awarded a $1.2 million challenge grant to Youngstown State University’s campaign to build a new facility for the Williamson College of Business Administration.

“This grant will help give us the push needed to put the fundraising campaign for the new building over the top,” YSU President David C. Sweet said.
“But, just as important, this grant is the endorsement of a respected, world renowned foundation. It’s a distinction that is sought by thousands of educational institutions across the country. It puts YSU in select company.”

This is the second Kresge award for YSU. In 2003, the foundation provided a $600,000 grant in YSU’s fund–raising campaign to construct the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

Tony Lariccia, chair of the YSU Centennial Capital Campaign, said the grant reflects Kresge’s continued endorsement of the university as a whole.
“Kresge is not interested in grant–making only, but in assisting organizations to increase their fund–raising capacity by acquiring new donors and encouraging current donors to increase their levels of support,” Lariccia said.

The fund-raising campaign for the new Williamson College of Business Administration is nearing the $12.4 million mark, leaving $3.6 million to be raised. If YSU raises $2.4 million more, Kresge has agreed to provide $1.2 million to meet the campaign’s $16 million goal. YSU plans to meet the Kresge challenge with support from alumni, friends, students, businesses and organizations.

Sebastian Kresge founded the S.S. Kresge Co. in 1899 and started The Kresge Foundation 25 years later from his personal funds. Since then, the foundation has awarded more than 8,000 grants totaling more than $2 billion to nonprofit organizations involved in health, the environment, arts and culture, education, human services and community development. In 2007, The Kresge Foundation awarded 283 grants totaling nearly $180 million.

The 110,000–square–foot Williamson College of Business Administration building, constructed on the far south end of the YSU campus, will provide cutting–edge classroom and laboratory facilities for the college’s 1,950 students and will help better connect the college and the university to the downtown Youngstown business district.

Construction will begin early in 2009, and the building will be open in time for fall 2010 classes. The building is the centerpiece of YSU’s Centennial Master Plan and represents the largest single capital expenditure in the university’s 100–year history.

The three–story building is designed by Strollo Architects, Youngstown, and Perkins & Will, an international architecture and planning firm, and will be about twice the size of the building on Lincoln Avenue that currently houses the Williamson College of Business Administration.

The building is being designed in line with standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) U.S. Green Building Council Rating System. For photos and more information on the new building, visit: http://www.wcba.ysu.edu/newWCBA.html.