The University of Oklahoma received a record $317 million in gifts and pledges during the fiscal year that ended June 30, surpassing last year’s record of $237 million. The record-breaking fundraising performance, shepherded by the OU Foundation, positions the university for continued growth and success.
“Achieving yet another historic year of giving represents an extraordinary moment for the University of Oklahoma,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Across the university, we’ve spent the past two years channeling our focus into amplifying OU’s excellence to even greater heights. This outpouring of support from our alumni and friends speaks to their endorsement of our progress and their belief in our momentum. Together, with our OU Family, we are building upon a legacy more than a century in the making: to change lives through education, innovation and service.”
Of the more than 80,377 gifts received this year, 54 totaled $1 million or more. Gifts of $10 million or more included commitments from Donald Ball of Tomball, Texas; Dave and Judi Proctor of Dallas, Texas; Jonny and Brenda Jones of Austin, Texas; Tim Headington of Dallas, Texas; and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores.
In addition to their longstanding support of the university’s academic areas, the transformational gifts made by Tim Headington and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores provided impactful support to the OU Athletics Department.
“Providing world-class resources for our student-athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority, and we simply cannot pursue and accomplish this standard of excellence without support from our stakeholders, donors and fans,” said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. “OU Athletics and our generous and passionate stakeholders have worked year after year in lockstep to achieve record-setting success. We are so grateful to have this critical support in our ongoing pursuit that only continues to evolve in the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.”
In addition to gifts from loyal donors, the university saw a notable increase in gifts from first-time donors. During fiscal year 2022, nearly 7,000 people donated to OU for the first time, impacting areas of need all over campus. The majority of these donors made their gifts on OU’s Giving Day, a 24-hour digital fundraising event that set a new one-day fundraising record for the university, raising over $11 million with 2,978 gifts received from faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends across 41 states.
Establishing a powerful and robust Giving Day was among the top priorities of OU Foundation Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Amy Noah when she joined the foundation in 2021. Under Noah’s leadership, the foundation has prioritized establishing relationships with OU donors and alumni by increasing staffing, allowing the foundation to better connect current and potential donors with areas of support for which they have a passion – something that has greatly contributed to the foundation’s recent fundraising success.
“The OU Foundation has undergone great changes, but our dedication to supporting the university has stayed the same,” Noah said. “The growth of our organization has afforded us the opportunity to thoughtfully build and steward donor relationships at an even greater level of attentiveness.”
For more information or to make a gift to the university, visit oufoundation.org.
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