The University of Maryland raised a record-breaking $1.5 billion from their multiyear fundraising effort, “Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland,” which will provide support for students, faculty, research, the arts and athletics.
“Together with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends, we proudly celebrate this extraordinary milestone at the University of Maryland. We did it together, and we are proud of all that we have achieved through Fearless Ideas,” President Darryll Pines said.
The money will “invest in world-renowned faculty, support capital projects, provide scholarships and co-curricular programs for students, and innovate and expand pioneering programs,” according to the university.
The efforts will fund six new facilities and a number of new capital and renovation projects, including academic buildings in the areas of computer science and engineering, public policy, teaching, the Campus Pantry, the campus’ career planning center and an outdoor art exhibition space.
The campaign was launched in 2018 and fundraisers met their goal four months early. In total, the campaign had 117,046 donors, including 73,437 first-time donors, and 52% of donors were alumni.
Donors funded over $334 million to support student initiatives. Almost $2 million was donated to the Student Crisis Fund since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund helps provide emergency funding for essentials such as housing and utilities.
Over $355 million of donations went to faculty to support endowed professorships, chairs and discretionary funding.
Some sizable donations were made, such as $219.5 million from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
The foundation’s donation established the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise Program. As part of the program, the university will match funds and will eventually fund $100 million in new scholarships.
The fundraiser helped double the university’s endowment.