University of Iowa Announces Historic Together Hawkeyes Campaign
Oct. 17, 2023—University of Iowa President Barbara J. Wilson announced the public launch of a historic fundraising and alumni engagement campaign that will generate unprecedented support for students, faculty, research, and innovative programs while improving facilities and bolstering service to Iowans.
Through the Together Hawkeyes campaign, the University of Iowa seeks to reach more than 300,000 alumni and friends; offer more than 3 million points of connection for those Hawkeyes to engage in the life of the university; and raise $3 billion in private support.
The University of Iowa is one of the first in the Big Ten to publicly announce and track engagement goals as part of its comprehensive campaign.
“We are inviting everyone who loves the University of Iowa to get involved,” says Wilson. “We know that Hawkeyes are stronger together, and we encourage alumni and friends to connect with and offer assistance to our students and faculty in whatever way they are able, be it through volunteering, attending events, offering internships, or making a gift.”
Donors to the campaign will advance university-wide priorities to:
- Ensure the holistic success and well-being of its students—with a special emphasis on assisting students who are first in their families to attend college
- Enhance the work of faculty scholars
- Support crucial health and mental health research, services, and care for Iowans and beyond
“Our people are at the heart of this campaign,” says Wilson. “We want students, faculty, and staff to have the proper resources to succeed. And because more than one in five of our undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college, I am passionate about providing additional support for first-generation Hawkeyes as they acclimate to campus life.”
Ahead of the public announcement, more than 251,000 alumni and friends have generated more than 1.5 million points of engagement to date—by interacting with social media posts, volunteering, joining Iowa Clubs, and attending events.
Additionally, donors have committed $1.59 billion to support scholarships, research funding, new facilities, and more, including:
- A $70 million gift from the Richard O. Jacobson Foundation, the largest gift in the university’s 175-year history, for a new patient care tower on the main health care campus. This project will help UI Health Care serve more patients, modernize care facilities, and improve health care options for Iowans across the state.
- A $37.5 million commitment from Jerre (65BBA) and Mary Joy Stead to establish the Stead Family Scholars Program in the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. This initiative allows the college to invest in outstanding early-career faculty who are becoming internationally recognized leaders in their respective fields.
- A gift of $7 million from P. Sue Beckwith (80BS, 84MD, 15MBA) that is one of the most significant contributions in the history of Hawkeye women’s athletics. It endows the Iowa women’s basketball head coaching position—and will continue to grow the P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Black and Golden Opportunities Fund, which provides annual support to all women’s sports at Iowa.
- A $20 million bequest from Patricia Tippie that will benefit both the UI Henry B. Tippie College of Business and Hawkeye Athletics. This gift continues her family’s generous legacy of giving to the University of Iowa, which her late husband, Henry (49BSC), began almost 70 years ago.
- A $15 million commitment from the Scanlan Family Foundation to create the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health in the UI College of Education. The gift, combined with a $20 million commitment from the state of Iowa, enabled the university to build upon its leading legacy in education and research to provide frontline school workers with crucial resources amid a national mental health crisis.
- More than 13,000 donors from around the world have committed a total of $241 million for scholarships for current and future students; nearly 2,000 donors have pledged a total of $197 million to support the scholarly endeavors of generations of faculty.
“This campaign builds upon Iowa’s strong legacy of excellence, collaboration, creativity, and leadership,” says Lynette Marshall, president and CEO of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. “It’s a privilege to rally Hawkeyes from around the globe to further the mission of the University of Iowa.”
