An anonymous donor’s $50,000 challenge grant through the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Foundation will help the Advance-Titan student newspaper pay off its debt.
Vince Filak, the A-T's faculty advisor, said the newspaper’s $75,000 debt had built slowly during the last seven or eight years as advertising support waned, although it was able to make a profit last year.
The challenge grant’s donor will match other donations up to $50,000, meaning the A-T could receive up to $100,000. The fundraising campaign is reaching out to alumni who worked at the A-T, as well as graduates who have a fondness for the newspaper.
The A-T has already secured about $25,000 in pledges and donations, Filak said. “We’re halfway to where we want to be,” he said.
Although UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt assured Filak the A-T was not in danger of being shut down due to the debt, the grant makes it “exceptionally easier for us to go about taking care of our business and provide a strong financial foundation for ourselves going forward,” he said.
Filak, who doesn’t know the anonymous donor, said the donor indicated he thought the Advance-Titan has a long legacy of excellence and has made great contributions at the university. The donor also said he’s glad the donation will allow the AT to continue in printed form.
The challenge grant deadline is Feb. 11. Tax-deductible donations can be made to a fund set up through the UW-Oshkosh Foundation online http://www.uwosh.edu/foundation or by mail to 625 Pearl Ave., Oshkosh WI 54901.
