Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It’s nearly impossible to adequately describe the pride I felt in announcing the completion of the most successful university-wide fundraising effort in UWM history. The unwavering commitment of UWM’s campaign co-chairs, alumni, friends, faculty and staff brought in a record amount of support. This effort is crucial to continuing our vital mission of advancing our students and community. I’m so grateful for the generosity and foresight of everyone who contributed, and I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about this amazing endeavor in the story below.
Best Regards,
Mark A. Mone
Chancellor
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
UWM Raises $251 Million During Historic Campaign
As he stood on stage at the UWM Panther Arena to reveal the final total of UW-Milwaukee’s largest-ever fundraising effort, Chancellor Mark Mone addressed the audience of donors and friends, faculty and staff: “In this moment, we are making history.”
He asked for a drumroll from the band, and the number appeared on the arena’s big screen high above the crowd: $251,466,444. Some in the audience gasped. Confetti fell from above.
“You probably didn’t see that coming,” Mone said at the Sept. 12 announcement. “This is phenomenal, and it sets an incredible foundation for UWM.”
The quarter of a billion dollars raised in the multiyear, university-wide fundraising effort –Made in Milwaukee, Shaping the World: The Campaign for UWM – is 25% higher than the university’s $200 million goal, which was announced publicly in 2017.
“I am profoundly grateful to our donors for the tremendous success of this campaign,” Mone said. “Their generosity will benefit our students, research and community engagement for years to come.”
More than 21,000 donors contributed in excess of 70,000 gifts to the campaign, and nearly half (49%) were first-time donors. More than a third (39%) of the total raised came through gifts of $1 million or more, and 78 donors contributed at least $1 million during the campaign. More than $36 million came through estate gifts.
“Donors play a critical role in the health of a university,” said Patricia Borger, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations. “The outpouring of support from UWM’s alumni, friends, faculty and staff, as well as from businesses and foundations, is inspiring. Our campaign co-chairs generated passion through their significant gifts and enthusiastic leadership. I am deeply grateful for everyone who took part in this campaign.”
During the campaign, UWM opened the Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex as well as the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and UWM Welcome Center, and an addition to the Klotsche Center was recently announced. Major initiatives launched during the campaign included the Connected Systems Institute and the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute. All of these were made possible in part by support from donors.
To learn more about UWM’s campaign or to read stories of impact, visit uwm.edu/give.