Bold means a billion.

The Campaign for UB

Boldly Buffalo is a road map for the future. It is a commitment to keeping a high-quality UB education accessible to all. And it is our promise to you—our alumni, our students, our faculty and staff, our community and friends—that an investment in UB will pay dividends around the world, for generations to come.

Our Goal is $1 Billion

The campaign has exceeded its original goal of $650 million, raising more than $711 million to date. These dollars already contributed by UB alumni and friends have forever changed the university. But this is a time to be transformative. To be bold. To dream big. To reach even higher. The Boldly Buffalo campaign has a new goal—something we’ve never tried before. But with your support, your commitment and your pride we know it is within our grasp.

Bold Means a Billion

Fueling the future

Since its launch, the Boldly Buffalo campaign has transformed the university and the many communities it serves. From expanding its role as a leader in interdisciplinary education; to amplifying diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; to reviving Buffalo’s vibrant art scene; the Boldly Buffalo campaign enables UB to respond to new challenges and opportunities that arise in higher education and beyond. Extending the campaign to reach one billion dollars, positions UB to enhance our societal relevance and impact for the next 175 years — and well beyond.

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Bold Priorities

Raising funds for student support, faculty research and innovative programs that benefit the world, the campaign plays a pivotal role in UB’s aspiration to be in the Top 25 public research universities in the nation within the next decade. As public research universities are increasingly being called upon to solve the most complex issues of our time, it is imperative that UB continues to boldly move forward — that pace of discovery accelerates, that our world-class education is made even more accessible, and that our students are prepared to lead in a rapidly evolving world.

As we realize a truly bold vision for UB, for our students and for our broader society, I am energized by the outpouring of support our university continues to receive from our graduates and community partners.

Rodney M. Grabowski, vice president for university advancement.

  • Our Students
    5/11/22
    At UB, our students are at the very heart of everything we do. As we take great pride in their extraordinary achievements, we will continue to elevate and support them as they lead the way toward a bolder, brighter future.
  • Our Faculty
    4/30/21
    Every day, our faculty members make progress toward solving some of society’s most complex problems. Now, we will further expand our efforts to recruit and retain exceptional researchers, scholars and teachers.
  • Our World
    10/13/21
    From promoting clean air in Buffalo to documenting vanishing languages in Cameroon, UB’s impact is felt in every neighborhood throughout Western New York, and on every continent around the globe.

We Are Boldly Buffalo

What does it mean to be bold? Being bold means addressing the toughest challenges, while turning hard working student into global leaders year after year. Being bold means donors and alumni supporting and improving every facet of life at UB.

Through the Boldly Buffalo campaign, donors have supported more than 300 new scholarships and fellowships to help make college more affordable for undergraduate and graduate students, with a focus on attracting high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds. Investments in faculty — with 32 newly endowed faculty positions — help advance research and academic output, and elevate the university’s standing among its peers. Campaign gifts also have allowed UB to build or renovate 15 buildings or spaces.

Beyond dollars raised, the campaign has achieved other important objectives, including opportunities for UB graduates to reconnect with each other and the university. Since 2013, more than 95,000 alumni worldwide have engaged with the university through young alumni gatherings, mentorship programs, virtual events and webinars, and new programs like Winter College in Florida and a virtual Alumni Academy.

More than 74,000 alumni, faculty, staff and friends have already raised their hands to support the Boldly Buffalo campaign and the future of the university.

The We Are Boldly Buffalo series reveals the stories of the bold students, faculty, alumni, and friends building our bright future together. Click the portraits below to watch the stories of people like you who are Boldly Buffalo.

  • Building a Sustainable Future
    4/12/21
    We all know about climate change and its effects on our planet. UB’s new Department of Environment and Sustainability was created to find solutions, and together with other disciplines, they’re leading the charge for a more sustainable and safer planet.
  • Untangling the Roots of Bullying
    4/12/21
    Bullying can transform even the best school into a forbidding environment for children who endure classmates’ taunting. The pain can last a lifetime, with hopelessness and powerlessness giving way to depression. Psychologist Jean M. Alberti, PhD ’70, EdM ’62, wants to break the cycle.
  • A New Chapter for Buffalo
    4/12/21
    Art’s never been just about art. It’s about telling stories and capturing moments. Using creativity to break down barriers. There’s an urban renaissance happening in Western New York, and the University at Buffalo is driving the charge.
  • How who and what we become
    4/12/21
    Forty years ago, Carol Brewer went on a trip abroad with her husband that continues to change lives today.
  • Fostering Innovation with the Social Impact Fellows
    10/26/22
    Social impact comes from innovation and at UB, we are committed to fostering that process. By taking a transdisciplinary approach, we can find solutions to some of the most pressing issues in society.
  • Closing the Gap in Dental Health
    8/10/23
    Dental care continues to lie just out of reach for some communities, with roughly 77 million people in the US without dental insurance, including older adults and people with disabilities. Practitioners don't always have to serve all populations, which is why we're boldly training UB students to serve all communities.
Watch all the We Are Boldly Buffalo videos
Read about more people changing the world through UB

Our Place, Our Way, Our Future

For 175 years, the University at Buffalo has made life better in Western New York and around the world with bold action and an unmatched tenacity. At UB, being bold means solving society's most complex challenges. Helping millions of people around the world accomplish what was thought to be impossible. And fostering more leaders to take the reins of the future. Together, we take pride in our place, celebrate our way, and build our bright future.

Boldly Buffalo: The Campaign for UB is the largest, most ambitious fundraising campaign in university history—a campaign that will transform UB in nearly every way imaginable.

Boldly Buffalo campaign video
Boldly Buffalo: Our Place

Our Place

Buffalo: Our namesake, our heritage, our home. Every place you find a bull, we’ve earned it.

Boldly Buffalo: Our Way

Our Way

UB is more than a place—it's a way of shaping the world. Engaging ideas. And inspiring action.

Boldly Buffalo: Our Future

Our Future

We define our own future. We always have. Now, we’re demanding even more.