Campaign News

President's Message:  Nov. - Dec. 2005

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"For Generations to Come

The Campaign for The Huntington"

The news is out that The Huntington is embarking on an exciting and critical new endeavor: For Generations to Come — The Campaign for The Huntington. Through the recent mailing of our Campaign announcement and the debut of our Campaign Web site (www.CampaignforThe Huntington.org), we have launched an initiative to raise $175 million in annual, capital, and endowment funds. I am pleased to announce that the institution is already well on its way toward achieving its goal, having raised some $87 million during a quiet phase that began in July 2004.

This issue of the Calendar, as you undoubtedly have noticed, features a fresh new design. Within this new format you will find dedicated Campaign pages with progress reports, details on gifts received, and profiles of donors. In this premier issue we are pleased to feature Hannah and Russel Kully, longtime Huntington supporters who have recently pledged an extraordinary collection of American prints and have endowed the position of director of the art collections, fulfilling a major Campaign goal.

I cannot overemphasize how much The Huntington’s future stability is tied to the success of the Campaign. As I have remarked before, this institution has been operating on lean resources since it was founded in 1919. Mr. Huntington’s original endowment was only a third of the size required to run an institution of the scope that he and his Trustees envisioned. His real legacy was in the art, rare library materials, and the estate that he bequeathed. The Huntington has always been rich in collections, a place of extraordinary beauty, and inadequately financed. This last condition, though chronic to date, is by no means irreversible. I am confident that we can raise significant funds at levels commensurate with an institution of this scope. This potential already has been demonstrated by the many gifts received so far, gifts in some cases far more generous than we had expected or could even have imagined.

This comprehensive Campaign is the result of a recent institution-wide effort to develop a strategic plan. What came of that exercise was a three-pronged strategy to put the institution on sounder footing by 2010—by lowering the spending rate of the Huntington’s endowment; raising compensation and benefit levels for staff; and increasing capital funding for infrastructure and maintenance.

The Campaign for The Huntington will strengthen the institution both fiscally and physically. Annual operating gifts pay the necessary daily expenses, including staff salaries and benefits. Endowments provide income in perpetuity, much like a savings account, to protect the collections, to fund research and educational programs, and to secure important positions. Taken together, robust annual giving and endowment will provide The Huntington with the muscle needed to take greater control over its destiny.

With respect to capital improvements, a high priority for us now involves renovation of the Huntington Gallery. Restoration has begun, thanks in large part to a $10-million gift from The Rose Hills Foundation. This tremendous lead gift galvanized early progress, but we are still $7 million short of our $20 million goal.

We also must make improvements to the Gardens infrastructure, especially as it pertains to the irrigation system. Some of the pipes date back to Mr. Huntington’s time—nearly 100 years ago—and are too old to sustain the kinds of water pressure we now require; many are unmapped. I am delighted to say we have begun addressing these issues, initiating for the first time ever a major study of our hydrology systems.

We are also seeking capital gifts that will help us to complete phase one of the Chinese Garden. Once completed, the Summer Garden, lake, bridges, and tea house complex will provide a space for cultural and educational programs.

When this Campaign ends in 2010, I know we will have the joy of reporting a stunning achievement. Likewise, we will have the resources necessary to sustain our programmatic offerings and to care for our collections and the staff that conducts the good work that goes on here. Every single gift that we receive today will help us to fulfill these goals, and we deeply appreciate each one. I want to thank those who have made lead gifts and to invite everyone along on this exciting journey as we move The Huntington to its greatest potential.

Steve Koblik, President