How long does it take to count past a billion?

Organizers of Notre Dame's Generations campaign expect to know soon, but on Thursday they were still tallying contributions to the record-shattering fund-raising project — more than two weeks after the effort wrapped up and four months after it broke the bank, surpassing the $1 billion mark.

As of Thursday, gifts and pledges raised through the campaign had climbed $53 million past that mark, according to Dan Reagan, associate vice president of University relations. Officials, still busy totaling contributions from a December-giving boom, will not make available a final figure for at least 10 days.

Reagan said that the sum likely will not be dramatically different from the current total.

Once Notre Dame accountants close the books on Generations, it will signal the end of one of the most lucrative fund-raising ventures for an American university. Already the biggest draw in Notre Dame and Catholic university history, the campaign makes the school only the 18th university overall, and 12th private, to collect $1 billion.

"We've been very fortunate all the way through. There has been tremendous support for this campaign from beginning to end," said Reagan, who is also the University's executive director of development.

By any standard, Generations proved a coup for the University.

Announced in May 1997 with an intended goal of $767 million, the 2 1/2-year campaign exceeded that aim in summer 1999 — 18 months ahead of the organizers' target date.

Soon after, Generations became Notre Dame's most successful fund-raising endeavor, pulling in more money than all previous University campaigns combined.

Then, in September 2000, with more than three months remaining until its Dec. 31 conclusion, Generations hit the $1 billion mark.

Reagan said several matters will receive priority consideration for proceeds from Generations. Specific areas officials plan to focus on include undergraduate financial aid, professorships and endowed chairs, Hesburgh Library collections and renovations and other building initiatives.

Generations began with the objective of increasing student scholarships and faculty endowed chairs, funding needed new academic facilities and improving program support to existing ones.

Thirty months and $1 billion later, Reagan acknowledged that at least some of those objectives remain underfunded. He said the University will continue efforts to increase fellowships for graduate students, law school financial aid and endowed professorships. Improving engineering facilities and expanding those in the law school will also be goals.

Funds from Generations have already been used to assist the University press, renovate the architecture building and improve international programs.

The success of the campaign may be linked to the generosity of the Notre Dame community. Reagan estimated that 74 percent of University alumni made gifts or pledges to Generations. That is in addition to a large response from parents and others tied to the school, who boosted donation efforts.

Reagan also credits Notre Dame administrators and campaign workers for Generations' success.

"This achievement is the result of a solid vision by the University and a lot of hard work of staff and volunteers," he said.

At its completion in 1990, the University's Strategic Moments campaign was Notre Dame's most successful fund-raiser. That campaign, which raised $463 million, was also the most prosperous campaign by a Catholic university.

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