Baylor University Celebrates Significant Year of Fundraising in Give Light Campaign

University surpasses initial $1.1 billion campaign goal in FY22, while showing continuing progress in scholarships, faculty endowment and capital priorities

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-709-5959
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WACO, Texas (July 14, 2022) – Baylor University today announced another significant year in fundraising for the Give Light Campaign, with more than $172.9 million raised during the 2022 fiscal year (FY22). The announcement comes at the end of an academic year that also saw the University celebrate surpassing $1.1 billion in overall giving to Give Light, the University’s fundraising campaign aimed at undergirding the priorities and aspirations of Baylor’s strategic plan, Illuminate. More than 85,000 alumni, parents and friends have given to the Give Light Campaign, with Baylor celebrating the fourth consecutive year of growth in alumni participation.

“Baylor University is truly blessed by the generous alumni, parents, friends and organizations who support our mission and our students through gifts to the Give Light Campaign,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “The 2021-2022 academic year was marked by many milestones – from our designation, ahead of all projections, as a Research 1 institution, to our announcement in February of reaching our original goal of $1.1 billion in fundraising through this campaign. Each of our successes is tied to the generous support of our Baylor Family. Your giving to advance Baylor and our Christian mission has allowed us to set and meet bold goals to create a future that is bright for this institution and our students.”

The University continues to celebrate one of the most successful fundraising years in its history.

In February, shortly after being named a Research 1 university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the University announced fundraising surpassed the initial $1.1 billion campaign goal. This significant achievement marked the campaign as the largest and most successful fundraising effort in the University’s 177-year history.

Investing in the future

FY22 also saw four academic units and two key divisions within the University surpass their initial fundraising goals set in the earliest stages of the Give Light Campaign: Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, University Libraries, Baylor Law School, School of Music, Baylor Athletics and Student Life.

“We celebrate the incredible success we have seen in the 2022 fiscal year at Baylor University,” said Baylor Vice President of Advancement David Rosselli. “It has been humbling to see how our alumni, parents and friends have caught the vision for what Baylor is becoming: a Christian institution of higher education that holds true to its Christian founding, while conducting research, teaching and innovation at the highest levels. The Give Light Campaign has been a wonderful vehicle for our Baylor Family to discover the many faculty, programs and research opportunities where they can invest in the future of this institution, benefiting our students and supporting robust academic experiences, while also preparing the way for future generations of Baylor students.”

The University saw the creation of 112 new endowed scholarships during the 2022 fiscal year, providing significant support for students and their Baylor journeys. An additional 47 new endowed funds were created to support academic programs, Student Life projects, research and other programs that enhance the Baylor experience.

New endowed chairs, professorships

Fundraising for the priorities of Illuminate continues through the Give Light Campaign. With the successful completion of the Foster Academic Challenge, which saw 14 new endowed research chairs created, the University announced the Illuminate Chair Matching Program. The new matching program aims to build on the success of the Foster Academic Challenge and create new endowed faculty chairs through similar matched gifts to meet faculty needs in priority areas within the University.

Through the Illuminate Chair Matching Program, an additional three endowed chairs have been created to support key initiatives: Truett’s William J. Abraham Endowed Chair, The Jim and Sharon Harrod Endowed Chair of Christian Thought and The Tim and Sharalynn Fenn Family Chair in Materials Science. An additional five endowed chairs and professorships have been created to support faculty research and teaching within Baylor Law School, the Hankamer School of Business, the College of Arts & Sciences and the first endowed professorship in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing.

The Give Light Campaign continues with priorities that center around growing the University’s endowment to provide enduring support for faculty, research and student scholarships. Other funding priorities include expanding the academic enterprise and resourcing academic departments to allow for growth in academic areas of focus: Health; Data Sciences; Materials Science; Human Flourishing, Leadership and Ethics; and Baylor in Latin America. Fundraising for the completion of the Hurd Welcome Center, Foster Pavilion and Fudge Football Development Center also continues as those facilities begin to take shape. Current funding for emergency needs and to enhance student services and student life also are included in the campaign.

For more information or to support Give Light: The Campaign for Baylor, visit www.baylor.edu/givelight.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 19,000 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.