TAMPA The University of South Florida's ambitious plan to erect a new 12-story medical education, research and treatment center downtown faces two final hurdles.

Both involve money.

The $157 million project needs $57 million in state funding. Officials are confident they'll eventually get it.

But USF must also raise $25million more in private donations.

Much more than a medical school is at stake: USF's project is one of the tentpoles of Jeff Vinik's $1 billion plan to redevelop downtown. For Tampa, as Mayor Bob Buckhorn put it, the project will be "bigger than baseball."

Enter Joel Momberg. It's his job to find the donor or donors who can make USF's dream project a reality.

"For $25 million," he said, "you don't do cold calls."

There's an art to persuading well-heeled donors to part with millions of their own dollars for a good cause.

"Everybody is a potential donor," Momberg told a Tampa Bay Times reporter. "If you want to contribute I've got a card for you."

See the rest here:

Got $25 million to spare? USF would like a moment of your time