UC Merced Magazine | Volume XX, Issue VI

DONOR IMPACT

Professor Abel Chuang, center, and his student research team

Boldly Forward Fundraising Campaign Tops $100 Million As the rst comprehensive fundraising campaign in UC Merced’s history approaches the halfway point, the tremendous generosity of the university’s donors has put the campus on pace to reach its $200 million goal by June 2030. Since the launch of Boldly Forward: T he Campaign for UC Merced, more than $102 million has been raised, representing more than 12,000 gi s from about 7,800 donors. By Francesca Dinglasan

is fundraising milestone is signi cant because the campaign’s silent planning phase began during the 2020 scal year and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the economic challenges posed by the global crisis, philanthropic contributions from UC Merced supporters far exceeded expectations. e campaign’s public phase launched September 2022, and donor giving was so proli c that by the following month, UC Merced — encouraged by vast support that outpaced original projections — announced its intent to double the campaign’s fundraising goal from $100 million to $200 million. Funds raised through Boldly Forward bene t UC Merced’s students, faculty, programs and facilities. Each of the Boldly Forward pillars — Leading rough Discovery, Cultivating Healthy Societies and Empowering Student

Excellence — focuses on UC Merced’s vision to expand the university’s ongoing excellence and in uence not only in its native Central Valley but throughout California and beyond. “UC Merced is what it is today because of the unwavering belief and commitment of our donors,” said Vice Chancellor and Chief External Relations O cer E. Edward Klotzbier. “We are deeply grateful for their investment and look forward to their ongoing partnership.” While the UC Merced community will continue to promote the campaign and the university’s ambitious plans over the next ve years to raise the additional $98 million, gi s made during the rst half of Boldly Forward are already having a tangible impact by expanding and creating new avenues of programmatic, faculty and student support.

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