Daniel Saftig 2011
Daniel P. Saftig
Ames, Iowa
When Dan Saftig began his duties as president of the Iowa State University Foundation on July 1, 2003, so also began the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history – Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, with the ambitious goal of $800 million in support of ISU programs, facilities, students, and faculty.
One of the chief goals of the campaign was doubling the number of endowed faculty positions from 75 to 150. That goal was exceeded. As many as two dozen facilities projects received support during the campaign, and more than 800 new student scholarships were created. Furthermore, Campaign Iowa State exceeded its total fundraising goal in October 2010 with nine months remaining before the campaign’s conclusion. Even in the face of a difficult economy, Campaign Iowa State was an overwhelming success under Saftig’s leadership, generating more than $867 million for the people and programs of Iowa State University – a figure that exceeded the amount of private support raised in the previous 25 years.
Saftig has been credited as a dynamic and collaborative leader throughout his eight years of service. In addition to leading Campaign Iowa State, he has worked to strengthen the ISU Foundation’s fiduciary and governance activities, improved donor communications, and reorganized the staff for greater efficiency and effectiveness. During Saftig’s tenure, the ISU Foundation has been named one of the top 20 nonprofit organizations to work for in America by NonProfit Times magazine.
A native of Kenosha, Wis., Saftig is a 1981 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and earned his master’s of nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco in 1989. He and his wife, Leslie Saftig, are Order of the Knoll members in addition to being life members sustaining life donors of the ISU Alumni Association. They have two sons: Jacob and Andy.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Foursquare
YouTube