For the third straight year, Tulane University has posted a record-setting fundraising pace, inspiring an unprecedented 25,221 donors to give more than $130 million in the fiscal year 2018-19, second only to last year’s total of $150 million.

This fiscal year’s fundraising totals pushed Tulane past the billion-dollar mark of the Only the Audacious: The campaign for an ever bolder Tulane. Tulane has currently raised $1.04 billion toward its goal of $1.3 billion. So far, nearly $250 million of the campaign’s overall commitments will support innovative research that ranges from combating infectious diseases to the latest breakthroughs in brain science.

Increasing scholarship funding is a major priority of the campaign. To that end, 228 endowed and current-use scholarships and fellowships have been created since the launch of the campaign in December 2017. The percentage of first-generation students in Tulane’s incoming class has also increased by approximately 28 percent since 2017.

“While excitement is building at Tulane as we near our goal, the success of this campaign will have the greatest impact beyond our campuses,” Tulane President Mike Fitts said. “We raise funds to support today’s most advanced research and teaching, preparing tomorrow’s leaders to address society’s most intractable problems. Our success would not be possible without our hundreds of campaign volunteers across the country led by co-chairs Catherine D. Pierson, Hunter Pierson, Phyllis Taylor and Richard Yulman.”

This year’s fundraising success was boosted by events such as the second-
annual day of giving, Give Green, which raised more than $780,000 in 24 hours. Donors from all 50 states and worldwide contributed more than 3,000 gifts and raised 70 percent more than during the inaugural Give Green in 2018.

“This was another tremendous year for Tulane University, and I applaud the efforts of everyone involved,” Yulman said. “The success of the Only the Audacious campaign will allow Tulane to continue to attract the brightest and most accomplished students from around the world, pursue top faculty and staff and enhance the overall campus experience.”