LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has announced its largest fundraising campaign has reached $401 million in contributions. 

University President Joseph Savoie announced the campaign’s progress during the State of the University on Wednesday. 

“Private dollars are important,” Savoie said. “They enable the University to meet its most essential needs by offsetting limits in state funding. Donors provide scholarships for students and endowed support for faculty members, while enhancing the University’s community service mission.”

According to the university, in the fiscal year that ended in June, the campaign raised $40 million, the second-largest annual fundraising total in the school’s history. More than 26,900 donors have contributed to the campaign to date. 

Together: The Campaign for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the largest single fundraising initiative in the University’s history. It launched publicly in late 2021. 

The $401 million the campaign has raised to date includes the two largest contributions in University history – $20 million from LHC Group to the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and $15 million from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center to Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics. Both were received in 2021.
 
Notable gifts in the past year include a $1 million estate gift from the Duhon family to establish a Board of Regents Support Fund Endowed Chair in Librarianship; a $700,000 gift from the Shirley Alexander estate to establish an endowed scholarship fund in education; and a $600,000 pledge from ExxonMobil for two endowed scholarships and two community outreach directors for the Energy Institute of Louisiana and the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center to advance energy innovation. 
 
Philanthropic gifts last year also enabled renovations to Earl K. Long Gym, home of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns Volleyball, supported the new engineering building and student success programs and the expansion of the new Health Sciences Campus, according to the school. Additionally, the Alumni Association had the most successful Gala in its history, raising nearly $1 million to support new strategic initiatives and University campaign priorities.

John Blohm, vice president for University Advancement and CEO of the UL Lafayette Foundation, said there is more to come.

“Our friends are dreaming big and infusing UL Lafayette’s academic, research and service missions with an intense energy,” Blohm said. “This momentum will benefit the community we are proud to serve and the students who come here to pursue their dreams.”