The UConn Foundation announced Monday that it raised more than $144 million in fiscal year ’25, marking one of the top fundraising years in its history.
The FY25 total pushes the UConn Foundation past the halfway point milestone in its multiyear fundraising campaign, Because of UConn, which has raised more than $757 million to date toward its $1.5 billion goal.
An astounding $68 million of this total was raised in the last quarter of the fiscal year following the public announcement of the Campaign.
The comprehensive Campaign was publicly launched at the end of April and spans all schools, colleges, campuses, Athletics, and UConn Health. The Campaign comprises four pillars: make transformative investments in student success, promote academic and innovation excellence, maintain focus on the health and wellness of people and the planet, and invest in athletic excellence and alumni engagement in the name of Husky Pride.
A Year in Review
In the past year, UConn has focused on creating opportunities for more than 8,550 first-in-family students to attend college with the goal of both raising retention and graduation rates.
Investment in research has never been stronger at UConn. The Campaign has helped the University provide fellowships for much-needed graduate researchers, recruit and retain top faculty, and invest in world-changing research. In fact, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2% of researchers investigating everything from cancer to AI.
UConn boasts 26 national championships across all sports including this year’s thrilling NCAA Championship win by the women’s basketball team. Generous donations have raised more than $50 million in support of UConn Athletics and have allowed the University to continue contributing to the health and financial literacy of student athletes.
Donor Impact
UConn is fortunate for so many generous donors whose support has helped bring to fruition the Because of UConn Campaign and its work to move UConn boldly into the future. A few highlights of the year across the University:
• Alumni Denis and Britta Nayden committed $15 million to establish The Nayden Center for Academic Excellence within the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center. Their generosity will advance initiatives in student-athlete financial literacy, mental health, and wellness.
• This year several generous private and corporate donors have continued their commitment to the UConn Hartford campus, totaling nearly $8 million in support, a significant increase from prior years. This ensures an accessible and affordable education for UConn students with an emphasis on residential student housing, supporting a critical Campaign pillar – Students First.
• Grateful patient Donald Reefe and his wife Jean are leaving a $1.5 million bequest to the UConn School of Medicine. Donald attributes his lifesaving treatment and subsequent recovery from a heart attack to the innovative and quick work of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. The Donald and Jean Reefe Family Fund for Cardiology will support clinical technology, education, and research at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center.
• Judy Sarna, UConn friend and donor, made a $1.5 million gift to establish the Morris and Judy Sarna Breaking Bias and Creating Community Program Fund in honor of her late husband, a Holocaust survivor. The gift brings UConn’s immersive Holocaust and bias awareness program to high school students in Connecticut, while also providing Neag School students and faculty with hands-on teaching experience and professional development.
• Demonstrating extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment, the Campaign Committee, led by Co-chairs Rich and Joyce Eldh, Doug and Sheila Elliot, Toni Boucher, and Dan Toscano, has contributed more than $40 million in FY25 across the campaign’s key pillars. The committee’s early and generous support has helped set the pace for the Campaign’s success and reflects their deep dedication to the University’s bold vision for the future.
“I’m extremely grateful to our Campaign volunteers for leading us to a successful launch and to our donors for their unfailing vision and generosity to UConn and UConn Health through the Because of UConn Campaign this year,” says Amy Yancey, president and CEO of the UConn Foundation. “We broke many previous records and have set the stage for an unprecedented year ahead in support of our students, patients, faculty, innovation, and Husky Pride.”
Setting the Stage for the Future
As the Because of UConn Campaign has charged into its public phase, the UConn Foundation is poised for its most successful fundraising year to date in fiscal year 2026.
With momentum continuing to build and more than $757 million already raised toward the $1.5 billion goal, growth of the endowment to $670 million, and an alumni engagement rate of 32%, the Campaign is entering into a pivotal moment of growth fueled by inspired donors, passionate volunteers, and a sharpened focus on transformational impact. An ambitious slate of Campaign initiatives positions the Foundation to set new records and drive lasting progress for UConn students, faculty, and communities across the state and beyond.
