Historic fundraising year leads to $261 million in gifts at The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama has achieved another record-breaking year in fundraising for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, with more than $261 million in charitable gifts and pledges from over 60,000 donors.

This year eclipsed the $226 million mark set in 2023 by 15% and has helped propel The Rising Tide 2.0 capital campaign past 90% of its $1.8 billion goal. UA is in the ninth year of this comprehensive, 10-year campaign to elevate all areas of campus — from student scholarships and faculty research to campus facilities and athletics.

“The generosity of our students, faculty, alumni, friends and partners has led to another record-breaking year for UA,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell. “The momentum behind The Rising Tide 2.0 campaign continues to drive our progress, ensuring that we are building on a strong foundation to support the future of the University and its impact on our community and beyond.”

The Rising Tide 2.0 is the most successful capital campaign ever for higher education in the state of Alabama. In February, UA reached its original Rising Tide capital campaign goal of $1.5 billion and, two weeks later, announced The Rising Tide 2.0 and an enhanced goal of $1.8 billion.

More than 172,000 donors, including 91,500 first-time donors, have contributed to the campaign.

The campaign has generated more than 1,050 new endowed scholarships, produced 65 new endowed faculty funds and supported the construction of more than 500,000 square feet of campus facilities.

Faculty endowments remain a key priority for The Rising Tide 2.0, as UA continues its progress toward its goal of 75 new endowments. In 2023-24, seven gift commitments totaling $8 million were made to support new faculty endowments.

As The Rising Tide 2.0 transitions into its final two-year home stretch, the impact of the campaign is materializing across campus in a variety of ways, elevating the UA experience and helping grow the campus footprint as UA continues to set enrollment records. This growth is immediately evident at the Peter Bryce Campus, where over the last fiscal year UA ceremonially broke ground at the site of the Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts and unveiled the Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center.

Gifts made toward the Beat Week online crowdfunding competition between UA and the University of Georgia also played a role in the successful fundraising year. UA won the challenge of securing the most gifts with a tally of 21,562 to Georgia’s 17,390, raising $2.6 million for UA alone.

“University of Alabama donors continue to outdo themselves,” Bob Pierce, vice president for advancement at UA, said. “When we finished the last two fiscal years right at $226 million, both record years, we could not have envisioned that we would eclipse that mark by 15% in the eighth year of the campaign. It is just remarkable and is further evidence of the dedication and commitment of UA alumni and donors. The passion for the Capstone is tremendous, and this level of philanthropic investment year after year proves that our constituents believe in the University and want to see it continue to rise in prominence and prestige.”

The prominence pillar continues the University’s goal to add 75 new faculty endowments, while the promise pillar is increasing student access through a broad range of scholarships including both education and nursing. The passion pillar led to mass donations towards improvements for athletics facility upgrade such as renovations to Bryant-Denny Stadium and the construction of the brand new golf facility.

“Being co-chairs of the campaign has provided us the opportunity to look more closely at the University — academics, facilities, student life — every aspect,” Mike said. “Through this opportunity, we’ve learned The University of Alabama has defied gravity by growing both enrollment and academic performance. Continued investments by Alabama alumni and friends are critically important to help continue this growth.”