Northern Iowa's eight-year campaign ends at $342.8 million, past a $250 million goal

The University of Northern Iowa on Friday night closed an eight-year comprehensive campaign by announcing a cumulative total of $342.8 million, well above the $250 million goal it set. The Gazette reported the figure, which UNI unveiled at its homecoming celebration in the university's 150th year.

The Our Tomorrow campaign was the largest in the university's history even before it passed its goal, according to the Gazette. By the Gazette's account the total exceeded the original target by nearly $100 million, and KWWL put the margin at more than $92 million, a difference that comes down to rounding the same number: $342.8 million minus $250 million is $92.8 million (our arithmetic).

A broad base of small gifts

The campaign drew 147,912 donations from 34,031 alumni, employees, students and supporters, the Gazette reported, from all 50 states and 17 countries. The median gift was about $100. KWWL reported that 65,077 of the gifts were under $100, which is 44% of all gifts (our calculation). At the other end, 58 gifts were $1 million or more. About 47% of those who gave did so for the first time.

"Throughout my time at UNI, I have been continually inspired by the Panther Family's commitment to our students' success," UNI President Mark Nook said. "A total of 34,031 alumni, employees and friends demonstrated that commitment by choosing to invest in UNI's future, making the Our Tomorrow campaign the most successful fundraising campaign in UNI history."

How the goal moved

UNI began the campaign's quiet phase in 2018 and launched it publicly in October 2022 with a $250 million goal, according to KWWL. In January 2024 it announced it had passed that goal and set a new target of $300 million by 2026, the Gazette reported. Donors gave between 2018 and June 30, 2026, KWWL said.

Where the money went

UNI broke the total down by purpose, as the Gazette and KWWL reported:

• $108 million for student scholarships, including 556 new scholarship funds. KWWL reported that nearly one in four UNI students now receives a donor-funded scholarship, up from about one in six before the campaign.
• $113 million, about a third of the total, for academic programs, including $41 million for faculty.
• More than $74 million for athletics, including $18 million for student-athlete scholarships.
• About $50 million for facilities, which KWWL said supports renovation and expansion of the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, revitalization of the Campanile and plaza, and improvements to the UNI-Dome.
• More than $7 million for internships, clinical experiences and career preparation, plus $2.1 million for undergraduate research.

The campaign created 375 new endowed funds and grew UNI's endowment from $113 million to $267 million, according to the Gazette. KWWL reported that donors committed $159 million to endowed support through gifts, pledges and planned gifts.

The largest single gift was $25 million from David and Holly Wilson, which established UNI's first named college, the Wilson College of Business. Wilson, a 1970 UNI graduate from Traer, is chairman and CEO of the California-based Wilson Automotive Group.

"Our alumni and friends answered with a belief in our students and investments that will shape the future of UNI," said Jim Jermier, vice president for university advancement and president of the UNI Foundation.

What other campaigns can learn

In our view, the numbers show how a campaign built on reach, not only on a handful of large gifts, can outlast its original goal: a median gift of about $100, nearly half of donors giving for the first time, and 58 gifts of $1 million or more. We recently covered a very different shape of success in Ken Griffin's $3 billion gift to Carnegie Mellon, and the record at Birdies for Charity shows how an event-driven program can raise money at scale.