The Council for Economic Outreach started its fundraising program, Momentum 2015, on Wednesday to raise money for the council to create and keep jobs in the city.
“The goal is jobs,” said Tom Mallini, general chairman of the fundraising campaign.
He said $2.2 million has been raised, with a goal of $3.3 million. The fundraiser will continue until about the end of January.
The money will go toward the Council for Economic Outreach’s goal of creating 1,200 jobs in the next five years.
The plan is called Innovation Gainesville, which was created to be a hub of innovation and collaboration between the educational, business and governmental community.
Win Phillips, co-chairman of the fundraiser and UF vice president of research, said Innovation Gainesville will connect Gainesville citizens to new opportunities.
“Basically, it will just knit the community with the new businesses and the opportunities,” he said.
The fundraiser started two days after UF announced its plan for an Innovation Square, which is also based on the principles of partnership and innovation.
The Innovation Square will be built on 40 acres of land around Southwest Second Avenue and will have 1 million square feet of retail, residential and restaurant space.
Mallini said this project will help by creating new jobs with higher wages.
“When people can earn more money, they are more prosperous,” he said.
Phillips said that programs to benefit innovation also boost the image of Gainesville and UF.
“As the University of Florida becomes more prominent in the country, this community should also become more prominent,” he said.
Mallini said despite the recession, some investors are giving more money than they had in previous years.
He said that out of about 50 prospective donors, 42 donated money.
“Initially I thought [the recession] was going to affect it, but I was wrong,” he said. “It’s interesting, when people believe in a good cause, they’ll support it.”
