This year, the University at Buffalo’s largest fundraising campaign in its 178-year history closed beyond expectations thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends.
Nearly 84,000 donors invested a record-breaking $1.1 billion through the Boldly Buffalo campaign in support of student success, faculty research and changing the world for the better.
From its beginning in 2013, the campaign exceeded predictions for how it might evolve. The original goal of $650 million announced at the public launch of the campaign in April 2018 was achieved at a record pace, with more than $711 million raised by April 2021. This overwhelming generosity among alumni and friends was a signal to campaign volunteers and university leadership that a $1 billion goal was achievable. And in fact, the campaign formally closed on June 30 with a total of $1.1 billion committed to support the labs, classrooms, libraries and playing fields where students learn and compete.
Donor support included notable gifts of $40 million and more. But all support, no matter the size, is meaningful. “Every dollar, every donor, made a difference to this campaign,” said Kathleen S. Heckman, MBA ’95, BA ’92, interim vice president for University Advancement. “This is because the collective generosity from our alumni and friends adds up to make a bigger impact for our students, our research and in the communities we serve.”
“Our generous, dedicated donors are inspired by UB’s many successes as a premier public research university, and our bold goals for UB’s brightest future,” President Satish K. Tripathi said at the campaign’s conclusion. “Our work at UB—the discoveries we are making here, the leaders we are cultivating—has energized friends near and far, galvanizing UB’s culture of philanthropy and enabling the Boldly Buffalo campaign to surpass our greatest expectations.”
Donor gifts enabled UB's endowment to grow by 91% during the campaign, creating 568 new funds that provide more opportunities for students and more solutions to society’s biggest challenges.
Dan, MD ’99, BA ’95, and Gail Alexander, BS ’87, campaign co-chairs, have noted Boldy Buffalo’s indelible effects on the university. “We are a thriving institution dedicated to solving some of society’s most pressing problems,” they said. “The success of the Boldly Buffalo campaign has positioned us to make great change for the betterment of the world.”
Through the Boldly Buffalo campaign, donor support has powered UB’s boldest ambitions: More students have access to a world-class education through new scholarships; faculty research is accelerating, helping to solve some of society’s greatest challenges; and campus improvements mean students, faculty and staff have the resources for deeper discovery and creativity. With such strong support, the University at Buffalo is moving forward with confidence, poised to continue on its trajectory to become a top 25 public research university in the nation.
Indeed, the Alexanders speak for a grateful university. Donor generosity—so evident throughout the campaign—will have a lasting impact on student achievement, faculty scholarship and instruction, and research that improves and advances lives. Continue reading to learn how donor support is making a lasting impact on our university.
Our generous, dedicated donors are inspired by UB’s many successes as a premier public research university, and our bold goals for UB’s brightest future." – President Satish K. Tripathi
Through the Boldly Buffalo campaign, the university has seen a building boom, evolving physically in parallel with its academic and research growth. More than 100 new or renovated buildings, spaces and campus improvements resulted from donors’ generosity, and will enhance the living and learning environment for students at all levels. The medical school returned to the downtown Buffalo landscape six years ago, and ground was broken in September for a new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences building. Other campus improvements include a new state-of-the-art fieldhouse for UB athletes as well as a new athletic training facility funded by the Murchie family; and One World Café, a dynamic gathering, studying and dining space in the heart of the North Campus; and a permanent museum is being prepared in Abbott Hall on the South Campus for the James Joyce Collection, expanding public access to the world’s largest assemblage of materials by and about the famed Irish writer.
With support from individuals and corporations and foundations, UB’s impact on the community is growing. Among these, a second mobile dental clinic was launched that can accommodate an additional 1,000 dental visits a year. This level of oral care is vitally needed in rural regions of WNY, where dental options are often limited. UB donors also addressed the food insecurity experienced by 50% of students through Veggie Vans, a program that makes fresh and affordable produce accessible across the university. They also supported the Blue Table food pantry for students experiencing unanticipated hardships.
UB is fortified by its diverse viewpoints, backgrounds and identities, a mindset reflected in our academics and research, and embraced by faculty, staff and students. A recently launched Indigenous studies major—the first in SUNY—is housed in the UB Department of Indigenous Studies, which was also created during the Boldly Buffalo campaign thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. In addition, recognizing the shortage of historically underrepresented students entering the field of law, Boldly Buffalo donors supported the Discover Law Undergraduate Scholars Program, an immersive summertime experience for undergraduates interested in the field.
Donor support of students throughout the Boldly Buffalo campaign—totaling $780 million—resulted in the creation of new scholarships, fellowships and awards, as well as support for student emergency funds, experiential learning opportunities and other measures of student achievement. A gift of state-of-the-art Siemens software means that students in multiple disciplines have in-depth, working knowledge of a system used by hundreds of the world’s largest industrial companies, preparing them for highly skilled positions. And thanks to a gift of Bloomberg Terminals, UB students are privy to real-time market data, break-ing business news and powerful analytics to conduct their own comprehensive financial research, immeasurably enhancing their career prospects. Donor support of UB’s Social Impact Fellows allows graduate students from management, social work, public health and health professions, and arts and sciences to help organizations address and find solutions to momentous societal changes.
UB’s dedicated and accomplished faculty—2,785 strong—set the pace for our enduring academic excellence. Through Boldly Buffalo, 52 prestigious appoints were made, including chairs and professorships in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and biotechnology, engineering sustainability, accounting and law, social justice, clinical pharmacy, and drug discovery and development. The distinguished faculty holding these positions guide and mentor students, while pursuing discoveries that can transform society.
In a constellation of causes, scientists at UB are determined to make transportation safer, defeat climate change, discover cures for diseases and solve other pressing global societal issues. Propelling their work are 976 new research funds established during the Boldly Buffalo campaign. One fund encourages graduate students to work across health care disciplines through a genetic counseling master’s program, which trains socially and culturally conscious genetic practitioners who will advance health in the region by increasing access to genetics and genomic medicine. And the Rudy Bruner Center for Urban Excellence, made possible through a generous gift from the Bruner Foundation, will address the complex web of problems associated with rapid urbanization, with a goal to create beautiful, just and resilient places for all.
The main thing a scholarship gives is peace of mind. I wouldn't be able to focus on my studies to engage myself in the nursing curriculum without having somebody believe in me." – Joan Tufuor, Travey L. Wheeler Endowed Scholarship Recipient
Because of you, the transformational impact we’ve made together is felt in every classroom and every lab on campus, throughout the city of Buffalo and around the world. And our drive for excellence is unstoppable, propelling us toward becoming one of the top 25 public research universities in the nation. As we celebrate this milestone, we will always be Boldly Buffalo, because one thing is for certain; Bold is forever. Thank you!
Story by Ann Whitcher Gentzke
Published January 10, 2025