ExxonMobil Foundation, Employees Give $483,940 to Baylor University

April 30, 2019

Gifts through ExxonMobil Matching Gift program support academic programs, scholarships

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-6275
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HOUSTON (April 30, 2019) – Baylor University announced today that it has received $483,940 from ExxonMobil and its employees through the ExxonMobil Foundation’s 2018 Educational Matching Gift Program.

Representatives from ExxonMobil presented Baylor representatives with the check during an April 30 ceremony celebrating the generosity of ExxonMobil and the impact the company and its employees’ contributions continue to have on the University. The ceremony was part of a “Baylor Day” held by Baylor alumni at ExxonMobil’s campus in Houston. The announcement provides momentum for Give Light: The Campaign for Baylor, an ambitious, $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign designed to undergird Illuminate, the University’s academic strategic plan.

“We are grateful for our Baylor Family, for the alumni, parents and friends who represent this institution so well at ExxonMobil and who multiply their giving through this generous program,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., said. “The Matching Gifts Program provides incredible support of the Give Light Campaign and resources for our academic programs and scholarships that affect so many of our students. We are grateful for ExxonMobil’s investment in higher education and for the culture of philanthropy that they encourage among their employees and retirees.”

More than 60 Baylor alumni, parents and friends joined together with Baylor University staff and faculty Tuesday to participate in the “Baylor Day” at the 385-acre, state-of-the-art campus. ExxonMobil employees enjoyed presentations from a host of Baylor representatives, including Dennis O’Neal, Ph.D., dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Terry Maness, D.B.A., dean of the Hankamer School of Business.

The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corp. The Foundation’s contribution, representing the generosity of many alumni, friends and supporters of higher education, underscores a long-standing commitment to higher education that is the foundation for Baylor University’s relationship with the ExxonMobil Corp. The 2018 gift increases the ExxonMobil Foundation’s giving to a cumulative amount of more than $9.3 million at Baylor.

In 2018-2019, ExxonMobil employees, retirees, directors and surviving spouses contributed to Baylor University, and their gifts were matched at a 3:1 ratio with the funds designated for unrestricted grants from the ExxonMobil Foundation. Although the contributions can be used for a wide variety of academic programs, colleges and universities are encouraged to designate a portion to math and science programs supporting student engagement. The program matches donor pledges 3:1 up to $7,500 to qualified colleges and universities in the United States, along with the American Indian College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

The gifts of ExxonMobil employees and the Foundation provide significant support of the Give Light Campaign, helping to advance Baylor’s aspirations through Illuminate. The academic strategic plan provides direction for the future strategic growth of the University, setting Baylor on a path to becoming a leading Christian research University. Through Illuminate, the University will focus on the following five key areas of growth, or initiatives, to help build the University’s capacity for compelling scholarship and research: Health; Data Sciences; Materials Science; Human Flourishing, Leadership and Ethics; and Baylor in Latin America. The Give Light campaign’s goal is to raise funds for scholarships, faculty positions, research funding, facilities and other funding to provide the resources necessary to support such growth.

While ExxonMobil’s program is one of the most generous, more than 7,500 companies offer matching gift programs to their employees. To find out more about matching gifts to Baylor University, visit www.matchinggifts.com/baylor or contact University Advancement at 254-710-2561. Gifts, including matching gifts, may be securely made online at www.baylor.edu/onlinegiving.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.