The Campaign for UW Bothell has met its goal of raising $35 million to support scholarships, student experiences, faculty research and university programs.
What’s more, says Wolf Yeigh, chancellor of the University of Washington Bothell campus, the amount raised has already reached $36.3 million, and this impressive total will continue growing until the campaign concludes in June 2020.
“This amount is an order of magnitude larger than the $3 million our young campus raised in its previous campaign, which ran from 2000 to 2008,“ notes Yeigh.
Since the current campaign launched officially in 2010, more than 5,400 individuals, families, foundations and corporations chose to make an impact. More than half of the donors are alumni.
Being Boundless
“I am inspired by the donors who give back to our campus, because they believe in the difference our students will make,” says Yeigh, who celebrated the milestone at a November event with members of the Chancellor’s Advisory Board and Alumni Council, campus administrators and staff from the Division of Advancement & External Relations (AER).
Jan Hunter, incoming chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Board, says she is proud to be a part of this transformational moment in UW Bothell’s 30-year history.
“Seeing the impact that the campaign is already making on this campus — the resources it is providing to faculty and students — tells me that the return on donors’ investment will continue to grow, and that encourages all of us to want to do more,” she says.
The campaign is part of the UW’s Be Boundless — For Washington, For the World campaign, which has surpassed its $5 billion goal. The money goes to specified purposes and does not replace funding provided through tuition and state appropriations.
One particularly memorable event that demonstrates the dedication of UW Bothell’s supporters, recalls Sean Marsh, acting vice chancellor of AER, was the I (Heart) UW Bothell scholarship luncheon. The event fell on Feb. 5, 2019, the same day a snowstorm shut down the campus and much of the Puget Sound region. Undaunted, many people still managed to attend the event in downtown Bellevue — and most of those who could not attend also still gave. With matching funds, they together raised more than $322,000 in support of the Promising Scholars Fund and a number of other endowed scholarships. The 2020 luncheon is set for March 11.
Another highlight of the campaign was the first annual Husky Giving Day on April 4, 2019, when 121 donors contributed $144,466 within 24 hours. The next giving day is scheduled for April 2, 2020.
Individual exemplars of this ongoing commitment to UW Bothell are 2019 Legacy Award recipients Jud Marquardt and Connie Niva who were honored at the May 3 Chancellor’s Reception for their generosity to UW Bothell and dedication to higher education.
Changing lives and communities
Most of the funds donated to The Campaign for UW Bothell go to scholarships, making it possible for more students to enroll at UW Bothell when they might otherwise not have been able to attend college. Some funds are also specifically directed to allow current students to continue taking classes during times of financial hardship.
Donors also give to support research, faculty excellence, innovation and a variety of special projects and programs. The number of endowments has more than tripled, from 12 before the campaign to 38 now.
“With the support of our donors,” says Marsh, “UW Bothell is expanding opportunities for our students and alumni — and enriching the economy and communities across our state.”
Read more about the power of philanthropy in the UW Bothell Annual Impact Report.
