The University of Texas at Austin has concluded its What Starts Here campaign, which raised more than $7.45 billion in philanthropic support from 358,291 donors, the school said. The university said the total passed its $6 billion goal and is the most successful fundraising campaign in UT history. The campaign began in September 2016 and was publicly launched in March 2022. The university said 251,757 new donors joined during the campaign.
According to the university, the effort expanded opportunities for students, strengthened faculty recruitment, resources and research, and transformed spaces on campus. In January 2024, UT became the first university in Texas to raise $1 billion for students through a philanthropic campaign, the school said. Gifts supported scholarships, fellowships, emergency assistance and student success programs. The campaign also laid groundwork for healthcare advances, including the UT Dell Medical Center and UT Dell Medicine, an academic health system that will serve Central Texas and beyond.
Phil Canfield, BBA '89, a member of the What Starts Here Executive Committee, said, "The level of support from our alumni is unmatched." The university said the campaign's effects are expected to continue for decades as students earn degrees, faculty develop new ideas and donor-supported spaces open.