Over 358,000 donors raised $7.45 billion over the last decade for scholarships and fellowships, faculty support, research and innovation, experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and the construction and restoration of campus in UT’s What Starts Here fundraising campaign.
The campaign, which ran from 2016 to 2026, surpassed its original goal of $6 billion. UT received $1.03 billion in the 2025 fiscal year and $1.08 billion in the 2026 fiscal year. 2025 marked the first time donations passed the billion-dollar mark.
“The past 10 years of sustained giving has shown extraordinary belief by our alumni, friends and supporters in the direction of the University — that’s especially true over the last two years as philanthropic support accelerated under the leadership of the current administration,” Mike Rosen, UT’s senior director of strategic communications, wrote in an email.
Richard and Lois Folger, both 2026 recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, have supported UT for years. In 2023, they gave a $10 million endowment to Texas Athletics as part of the campaign.
“It’s not just giving, but it’s really the engagement,” Richard said. “Writing a check is just a small part of the equation. For our family, it’s being involved and being engaged with the institution that really drives our motivation to ultimately contribute in a lot of ways.”
Lois received scholarship support during her time at UT, and the Folger family has raised money towards student scholarships.
“When you get involved in the various leadership groups at UT, you realize the complexity of the organization and just the great needs that are there,” Lois said. “Whether it’s through funding research or supporting specific programs or initiatives, you realize the University of Texas is such a complex system, and the needs are very great.”
Donations across the campaign supported 5,745 total scholarships and fellowships, including 2,003 new scholarship, fellowship and student support endowments, according to a University report.
Dozens of developments across campus are the result of donations, including the renaming of the Belo Center for New Media to the G.B. Dealey Center for New Media and the renovation of the Biological Laboratories Building to become the home of the School of Civic Leadership.
The campaign also generated over $1.08 billion in research support, resulting in 30 centers, institutes and clinics being named after donors.
The $750 million contributions from Susan and Michael Dell to develop the UT Dell Medical Center and other campuses have not been counted in this total, according to a University spokesperson.
