UC San Diego announced Monday that it has reached its 10-year, $2 billion fundraising goal three years ahead of schedule.
UCSD launched the $2 billion Campaign for UC San Diego in 2012 to raise funds for student support services, campus improvements and the university’s research efforts. As of July 24, 135,367 individual donors have combined to raise $2.04 billion, making UCSD the youngest university in the U.S. to reach a $2 billion fundraising goal, according to UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla.
“Our 135,000 donors have created a powerful community that is driving fundraising momentum, and propelling us to continue our efforts to the planned conclusion of the campaign in 2022,” Khosla said.
Donors earmarked $1.36 billion, roughly two-thirds of the funds raised, for the university’s research and innovation projects. More than $450 million was directed toward campus and community improvements, $210 million toward student services and $19.3 million toward miscellaneous areas.
Roughly 95,000 of the donors contributed to UCSD for the first time, according to the university. More than 250 donors each gave at least $1 million.
The campaign has allowed the university to add 92 endowed faculty chair positions and make improvements and additions to scholarships and more than 430 areas of the campus, including the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Rady School of Management, the Geisel Library and UCSD Health.
“In seven years, we have expanded college access and affordability for underserved students, initiated campuswide interdisciplinary research initiatives to foster collaboration and solve societal challenges, and strengthened university and community partnerships to drive regional impact,” Khosla said. “With the three years remaining, imagine how many more innovators we can inspire, cures we can discover, and communities we can build with continued support.”
—City News Service