The University of Nebraska Foundation announced a record $343 million in philanthropic gifts and commitments in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021, marking the second consecutive year of more than $300 million in new funds committed to benefit the University of Nebraska.
Gifts were directed to the University of Nebraska according to donors’ designations. Alumni, friends of the university, foundations and corporations make up the 46,639 donors who gave during the year.
"The University of Nebraska is in a remarkable position of strength as we look to the future, thanks to private and public partners whose investment in their university truly makes all things possible," said University of Nebraska President Ted Carter. "Our generous and visionary donors extend the university’s reach even further, helping to make higher education a reality for thousands of students and growing the impact of our research and service. The entire university family is grateful to our philanthropic partners for all they do for our 52,000 students."
Private support created new scholarships, created faculty chairs and professorships for the recruitment and retention of top faculty, provided support for academic and athletic programs, furthered research, helped care for patients, and constructed facilities for teaching, research and service. Among the areas at UNMC that benefited from private support this year were:
- Faculty support chairs were created to recruit and retain top faculty, among them the first chair ever in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology, a chair in global health security and additional support for existing chairs in cardiology and pediatrics.
- Scholarships were created for students enrolled in the accelerated nursing degree program, and research gifts were received to support pediatric cancer.
- Gifts were received to support the construction of facilities such as the Davis Global Center and the Munroe-Meyer Institute. Donors supported the NExT project, a public-private partnership to create a federal, all-hazard health security disaster response space that leverages UNMC’s and Nebraska Medicine’s experience and leadership in infectious diseases.
Student support was a priority for many donors, and more than 10,000 students across the university system received privately funded scholarship awards in the past year. Gifts were given to support students in nearly every major and college.
"Many of our donors understand that a University of Nebraska degree can literally change the trajectory of someone’s life, and they have a strong desire to make those degrees accessible and affordable to more people," said University of Nebraska Foundation President and CEO Brian Hastings. "Others want to support the life-saving work that our academic medical center does every day, but also recognize their global leadership through the COVID-19 global pandemic. This is the 85th anniversary of the foundation’s partnership with the University of Nebraska, and we could not be prouder to have this anniversary marked by a record-breaking year."