Wide-Ranging Support for Give Light Campaign

In mid-July, Baylor announced that the philanthropic support of alumni, parents, students and friends during the 2018-19 fiscal year exceeded $243 million, a period coinciding with the successful public launch of the Give Light campaign.

Marking the eighth consecutive year the University has surpassed the $100 million benchmark in fundraising, this year’s total includes the largest current gift in University history, an anonymous $100 million gift to support growth in academics and provide the lead gift for a new Baylor Basketball Pavilion.

To date, members of the Baylor Family have made gifts and pledges totaling more than $733 million toward the priorities of the University outlined in the Give Light campaign. The 2018-2019 fiscal year also marks the largest annual fundraising total in Baylor’s history and reflects an 18.7% increase over the previous year in the total number of donors.

“We are profoundly grateful to the many members of the Baylor Family who have come alongside the University as part of Give Light. This is an important moment in Baylor’s history as we make strategic investments throughout our academic enterprise and across the campus, and everyone is serving an important role as we shape our future,” said President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “This remarkable financial support is directly advancing our strategic priorities under Illuminate, our strategic plan, and strengthening our faculty and students where there is greatest need and the most opportunities for significant impact. Every gift moves us forward in our progress toward growth as a preeminent Christian research university.”

The generosity of the Baylor Family will impact students, faculty and programs across campus and reflects a depth of engagement by alumni, parents, students and friends giving at all levels for the future of the institution. Of particular note, the total value of gifts and pledges made to Baylor’s endowment — an important component of institutional strength — increased by 13% over last year.

On May 4, Baylor announced the $100 million gift to the Give Light campaign. The gift will build on the University’s historic strengths and provide a transformational investment in new areas of teaching, research and service.

A significant portion of the $100 million gift will create a matching fund to launch the Baylor Academic Challenge, incentivizing donors to establish endowed funds for strategic academic initiatives and other priorities of the University. In particular, the program seeks to endow up to 17 new faculty positions, helping Baylor generate additional funding to sustain and grow teaching and research in key areas by bringing additional outstanding scholar-teachers to campus.

The family who made this transformational gift also are passionate supporters of Baylor’s intercollegiate athletics program, and they recognize the significance and impact of investing in Baylor’s facilities for the long-term strength of Baylor Athletics. As such, the $100 million gift also includes a lead investment in the Baylor Basketball Pavilion, a state-of-the-art facility that will become the new home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

Support for student-athletes through scholarships and programs continued during the most recent fiscal year to propel Baylor Athletics’ vision: Preparing Champions for Life. For the fifth straight year, annual giving to athletics has exceeded $15 million.

In addition, student giving played an important role in support of Baylor’s mission. Baylor’s first-year students participated in the annual Change the World in a Day initiative, raising more than $3,300 to support work with Casas Por Cristo in the Dominican Republic. In late August, the Baylor Family made more than 2,700 gifts during the first-ever Baylor Day of Giving, raising more than $500,000 in a 24-hour period. Baylor publicly launched the Give Light campaign on November 1, 2018. To date, the campaign has raised $709.9 million, more than halfway to the $1.1 billion goal. Gifts supporting the University’s academic enterprise have established endowed funds for 17 faculty chairs and professorships as well as 422 scholarships.

For more information or to support Give Light: The Campaign for Baylor, visit baylor.edu/givelight.