Fiscal year 2023 was the most successful fundraising year in University of Texas at Dallas history, with more than $96 million recorded. This milestone included $85 million in contributions from alumni, friends, corporations and community partners, as well as an additional $11 million from the Texas Research Incentive Program, a fund provided by the Texas Legislature to match philanthropic gifts at eight public universities across the state.
“This historic achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of our alumni, donors and corporate partners,” said UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership. “It is a testament to their belief in the transformative power of education and innovation. These funds will propel us forward in our pursuit of excellence and our mission to positively impact students and industry in North Texas.”
Highlights from UT Dallas’ 2023 fundraising efforts include:
- $390 million raised for New Dimensions: The Campaign for UT Dallas: Record-breaking fundraising in 2023 advanced the $750 million New Dimensions campaign past its halfway mark.
- 17,572 gifts from 8,114 donors: A diverse and enthusiastic community of supporters continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the University’s future. This year, a record-breaking 2,959 gifts were made during Comets Giving Days in April.
- $792 million endowment: The market value of the UT Dallas endowment reached an all-time high in 2023, now exceeding $792 million across 852 total endowments. This represents a 42% growth in value since 2019, creating a substantial foundation to ensure the University’s sustainability and long-term impact.
The fundraising efforts were made possible through the collective support of UT Dallas’ growing community of donors. Ron Nash MS’79, co-chair of the New Dimensions campaign, emphasized the University’s importance to the North Texas region and the reciprocal impact that community investment makes at UT Dallas.
“As the large, high-academic quality, research institution for our area of Texas, UT Dallas is one of the primary drivers of the growth and success for all North Texas,” Nash said. “We have to enlist new supporters who share our vision of accelerating the value that UT Dallas brings to our area. It has been very rewarding to see that people and groups new to UT Dallas are buying into our vision for a more successful North Texas and are supporting this university with great enthusiasm.”
Contributions from both first-time donors and longtime supporters advanced all three priority areas of the New Dimensions campaign: attracting the best and brightest students, transforming lives through research, and enhancing the arts on campus.
Leading the way was a $40 million gift from the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation, which named the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. The gift also will accelerate the construction of phase II of the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, which will include a two-story, 53,000-square-foot performance venue with a 600-seat concert hall, and choral and orchestra rehearsal rooms. The UT Dallas community will celebrate the dedication of the Bass School on Thursday, Sept. 28.
“It has been very rewarding to see that people and groups new to UT Dallas are buying into our vision for a more successful North Texas and supporting this university with great enthusiasm.”
Ron Nash MS’79, co-chair of New Dimensions: The Campaign for UT Dallas
UT Dallas students received substantial support last year from the University’s campaign co-chairs, Nash and John Olajide BS’04. A $1 million commitment from Susan and Ron Nash created the Nash Leader’s Program, a new award in the Naveen Jindal School of Management designed to recognize exceptional Jindal School students who show a significant aptitude for leadership in their future careers. Olajide, who established the Axxess Scholarship in 2019, increased his support for students in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science with a gift to HackUTD, the largest university hackathon in Texas.
The Center for BrainHealth raised nearly $10 million as part of its Limitless BrainHealth campaign, an effort to revolutionize the field of brain health by advancing novel areas of research and clinical applications. The center has raised over $46.2 million toward its $50 million goal.
“Our donors are integral to our ability to educate students today while preparing to expand UT Dallas’ future impact across the region,” said Kyle Edgington PhD’13, vice president for development and alumni relations. “The difference their generosity makes can be seen across campus, from first-generation student success to the construction of state-of-the-art facilities for learning and research. Private giving changes lives at UT Dallas, and we are grateful for our donors’ loyal support.”