‘More than we predicted’: UC Irvine fundraising campaign nets record $2.4 billion
- Share via
When UC Irvine kicked off its Brilliant Future campaign on Oct. 4, 2019, its dual goals of raising $2 billion and meaningfully engaging 75,000 former students of the university seemed like an incredibly ambitious endeavor.
But after six years of effort and accomplishments — including a $200-million gift establishing the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, a $35.5-million alumni donation, the largest of its kind in the institution’s history, and smaller pledges from more than 93,000 former graduates — the campaign surpassed those lofty expectations.
Closing the massive undertaking six years after its commencement, university officials announced in a ceremony Saturday that Brilliant Future had secured a record $2.4 billion in support of learning, research, student support and infrastructure at both the college and its clinical enterprise, UCI Health.
It’s a banner moment for Brian Hervey, vice chancellor of University Advancement and Alumni Relations and president of the institute’s foundation, and colleagues who began planning the campaign in 2015.
“I’m happy to say we achieved more than we predicted,” Hervey said Wednesday.
While the university’s operating budget pays for ongoing expenses, campaigns are a way to support expansion, both physically and programmatically, to meet an ever-growing demand.
Hervey said that in this year’s fall quarter, the 38,000-student campus received more than 150,000 applications for enrollment.
“So, we’ve really needed to grow,” he said. “And [through the campaign] we’ve built six buildings — some funded at least in part, and some completely, by philanthropy, as well as building out the kind of things you need to attract more students, faculty and staff.”
The campaign’s fundraising and awareness efforts were guided by four central pillars: advancing the American dream, transforming healthcare and wellness, accelerating world-changing research and exploring the human experience.
Despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, Brilliant Future funded 269 scholarships, fellowships and awards, established endowed chairs in public health and humanities and supported the opening of the Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art in 2018 and an Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building in 2021.
Sheila Peterson, a campaign co-chair alongside husband Jimmy, pointed out in a university release that each aspect and accomplishment of the initiative translates into real, tangible benefits.
“Every number in this campaign tells a story,” Peterson said in a statement. “Students who can now afford to pursue their dream. A breakthrough in medical research. A work of art that will inspire generations. That’s the real impact.”
UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said the campaign’s success is a powerful reminder that when a community comes together with a shared vision, anything is possible.
“Our donors are not just supporters — they are partners in progress,” he said. “Their generosity has transformed UC Irvine and our community and will continue to shape lives, advance knowledge and serve society for generations to come.”
As for Hervey — who is closing the books on his second campaign, after arriving at UCI just in time to conclude an earlier Shaping the Future campaign a decade ago — the moment brings a pause, but just a momentary one.
“I’m ready Monday to come back and say, ‘Let’s keep going, let’s keep moving,’” he said Wednesday.
