UL Lafayette’s historic fundraising campaign reaches new heights

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s largest fundraising campaign has reached $401 million in contributions. 
 
President Dr. Joseph Savoie announced the campaign’s progress during the State of the University on Wednesday. 
 
“Private dollars are important,” Savoie said. “They enable the University to meet its most essential needs by offsetting limits in state funding. Donors provide scholarships for students and endowed support for faculty members, while enhancing the University’s community service mission."
 
He continued: “I am very grateful to the donors, alumni and friends who have contributed to the campaign to date. Their generosity – and that of future supporters who will enable the campaign to reach its finish line – will help shape the future of the University for years to come.”
 
In the fiscal year that ended in June, the campaign raised $40 million, the second-largest annual fundraising total in University history. More than 26,900 donors have contributed to the campaign to date. 
 
Together: The Campaign for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the largest single fundraising initiative in the University’s history. It launched publicly in late 2021. 
 
The campaign’s fundraising priorities include support for:  

• Student success and teaching, including increasing scholarship access; enhancing teaching and learning environments; and optimizing facilities for students. 
• Research and discovery, including attracting and retaining top-tier faculty members; expanding research programs and partnerships; and enhancing research. 
• Service to the community, which includes creating and enhancing performance spaces; expanding impact on K-12 public education; and strengthening the University’s role in health care workforce creation. 

The $401 million the campaign has raised to date includes the two largest investments in University history – $20 million from LHC Group to the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and $15 million from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center to Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics. Both were received in 2021.
 
Notable gifts in the past year include a $1 million estate gift from the Duhon family to establish a Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Chair in Librarianship; a $700,000 gift from the Shirley Alexander estate to establish an endowed scholarship fund in education; and a $600,000 pledge from ExxonMobil for two endowed scholarships and two community outreach directors for the Energy Institute of Louisiana and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center to advance energy innovation. 
 
Philanthropic gifts last year also enabled renovations to Earl K. Long Gym, home of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball, supported the new engineering building and student success programs, and the expansion of the new Health Sciences Campus. Additionally, the Alumni Association had the most successful Gala in its history, raising nearly $1 million to support new strategic initiatives and University campaign priorities.
 
“And there’s more to come as we continue to work together,” said John Blohm, vice president for University Advancement and CEO of the UL Lafayette Foundation. “Our friends are dreaming big and infusing UL Lafayette’s academic, research and service missions with an intense energy. This momentum will benefit the community we are proud to serve and the students who come here to pursue their dreams.”
 
Visit together.louisiana.edu for more information or to contribute to the Together campaign. 

Find more from the State of the University here. 
 
Graphic credit: University of Louisiana at Lafayette