KUOW: University of Washington sets aside $5M for Indian center

Tuesday, February 8, 2011  

"These days any mention of university budgets is usually accompanied by the word 'cuts.' And David Iyall, who is raising funds for the Native American longhouse at UW says it has been a challenging process. Foundations and federal funding dried up in the last few years.

But recently the university's interim president Phyllis Wise pledged $5 million in matching funds for the project. The money comes from student fees and outside gifts. Iyall says it was a very pleasant surprise.

Iyall: "The $5 million matching gift fund that's been provided by the President's Office is also going to be a tremendous catalyst for our fundraising efforts. We've already seen a major uptick in terms of our gift commitments based on that."

He says faculty members alone have already donated over $40,000. If all goes well, the longhouse could open in 2014. It's meant to be a home away from home for Native American students, as well as a space for larger events, studio art classes, and meetings."

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UW Gives $5 Million To Build Native American Longhouse On Campus (KUOW 2/8)