The University of Houston System announced Thursday during a Board of Regents meeting held in Clear Lake that it had reached the $1 billion goal of the “Here, We Go” fundraising campaign 18 months ahead of the anticipated 2020 completion date.
The fundraising campaign — which has garnered $1.003 billion for UH from more than 178,000 donors thus far — began quietly in 2012 before the public launch in 2017, according to a press release put out by the University.
“Everywhere you look at the University of Houston, you can see the Powerhouse growing and you can be certain it would not be possible without the generous support of our alumni base and corporate neighbors near and far who continue to help us make transformational changes to the University,” said UH System Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Eloise Brice in the release.
According to the release, money raised from the campaign has created 1,032 new scholarships across campus, helped renovate and create facilities across campus and also expanded the size of the UH Victoria campus.
Of the reported 178,000-plus donors to the campaign, some individuals have contributed several million, such as Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta who gave $20 million for the construction of the Fertitta Center, formerly known as the Hofheinz Pavilion.
The goal of the campaign has been to expand the University with new scholarships and facilities, with donations having already contributed immensely to the construction and launching of UH’s upcoming medical school, according to the release.
Humana Inc. — a for profit health insurance company — gave $15 million during the campaign to establish the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute and help fund the establishment and operation of the new UH College of Medicine.
According to the release, an anonymous donor also gave $3 million to pay off the entire tuition of the UH College of Medicine’s inaugural class.
With the original $1 billion goal already reached, the University plans to continue moving forward to go “Beyond the Billion” with fundraising focusing on creating scholarships, endowed professorships and campus identity projects, according to the release.
“The University of Houston is on the move, and investing in UH is truly a gift that keeps giving,
helping us continue to expand our academic excellence and impact,” said Capital Campaign Co-Chair Marvin E. Odum III in the release.
