UTSA’s first capital campaign has raised $94 million, exceeding expectations, and the donations continue to pour in. Split between public and private phases, the goal of “We Are UTSA: A Top-Tier Campaign” is to raise $120 million by 2015.
To generate publicity and credibility, the university’s first capital campaign is a fundraising effort to tell UTSA’s story and acquire investments in the students and the university.
Similar to UTSA’s four university-wide initiatives, the campaign has four main objectives. The first objective is to increase students’ access to excellence; part of the campaign’s money will be used for scholarships, with the largest amount of funds coming from the Mary McKinney Endowment.
Next, the campaign will create new knowledge through faculty research (which will benefit from the campaign) and new positions to employ UTSA students.
The third objective of the campaign is to increase service to society through the formation of more community outreach programs. Finally, to help enrich students’ experiences, the campaign will help fund campus improvements to make both the 1604 and Downtown campuses more comfortable for students and faculty.
UTSA officials concluded that the goal of the campaign would be $120 million. After establishing relationships with donors and matching the money with the university’s specific goals, the comprehensive objective of $120 million was formed, and the campaign has soared.
When asked what would happen if that goal was reached before 2015, UTSA President Ricardo Romo said, “We’ll keep going. We’ll set another goal. This is an art; there’s nothing scientific about arriving at the number. We could conceivably reach the goal in another year or two, and then we might shoot for another $10 million or try to shoot for $150 million (collectively). It depends on how people feel.”
For more information, visit www.giving.utsa.edu.