The University of Nebraska Foundation announced $300.6 million in philanthropic gifts and commitments in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022. This is the third consecutive year more than $300 million in new funds has been committed annually to benefit the University of Nebraska. During the same period, an all-time record of 60,571 donors made a gift.
Donors supported all campuses of the university system: University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. Gifts came from alumni, friends of the university, foundations and corporations.
“The University of Nebraska is fortunate to benefit from the generosity of so many alumni and friends who share a common vision for transforming the lives of students and people around the world through affordable, accessible, outstanding education,” said NU System President Ted Carter. “The support of both our private and public partners is a primary reason why the University of Nebraska is in such a strong position today. On behalf of our 50,000 students and talented faculty and staff, I extend our deepest thanks to every individual who has contributed their time, resources and energy toward extending the university’s impact even further.”
In addition to the record number of donors to the university, other highlights from the fiscal year include:
- A record number of planned gifts, comprising $55.3 million of the total $300.6 million committed. These planned gifts will be realized in future years to support all areas of the university system;
- Highly successful campus giving days, which raised $598,575 for UNL from 4,935 gifts, $362,284 for UNO from 2,389 gifts and an inaugural giving day event for UNK that raised $237,625 from 1,500 gifts; and
- More than 10,000 students receiving a total of more than $33 million in financial support from private funds.
Private contributions during the year supported scholarships to provide direct financial aid to students and to support the university’s goal of making the university accessible and affordable for all. Gifts also created endowed faculty chairs and professorships for the support, recruitment and retention of top faculty across the university system, and provided funding for academic, athletic and research programs.
Examples of gifts given to the foundation to support the university this fiscal year include:
Student Support
- Scholarships for students on all campuses from the Don and Lorena Meier Foundation
- Scholarships for students at UNO through the Shirley A. Seewald Coniglio Athletic Endowed Scholarship
- Scholarships for students attending UNL’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts from the Johnny Carson Foundation
- Scholarships for students from Crete and Wauneta from Tom and Candy Henning
- Student health and well-being support from the Alex Kearns UNL Memorial Fund
- Scholarships for medical students from an estate gift made by C. J. LaBenz, MD
Support for faculty members and academic, athletic and research programs
- Gifts to support agriculture to support the proposed Equine Sports Complex and a new Feedlot Innovation Center
- Gifts to support health care and research including a statewide diabetes care and education program to reduce the rate of diabetes, especially in rural communities; a gift to help children at Nebraska Medicine with in-room entertainment; and funds for pancreatic cancer research
- Gifts to support programs at colleges and units across the university system, including the UNL College of Business; the UNK College of Business and Technology; the UNL College of Arts and Sciences; and the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications, which received its largest gift ever
- Gifts to support athletics such as UNK’s 62,000-square-foot Ernest Grundy Tennis Center
“The entire University of Nebraska Foundation team is proud to have once again exceeded $300 million in private support for the university, and the record number of donors indicates our alumni and friends support the mission of our state’s only public university and the difference it is making in the lives of Nebraskans and those around the world,” said Brian Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation. “We also pride ourselves on being an efficient fundraising organization, raising more than $7 in gifts for the university for every $1 we spend.”