"For Iowa. Forever More." campaign reaches $1.5B mark; CLAS tops $121M

Monday, July 6, 2015

The University of Iowa is committed to educating students, the leaders of tomorrow, to thrive in a complex, global society. This commitment to student success is at the heart of For Iowa. Forever More: The Campaign for the University of Iowa., the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the history of the university and the state of Iowa.

To date, more than 183,000 donors have contributed $1.5 billion toward specific areas of the university that they feel most passionately about, directly benefiting students, faculty, and research—and helping to renovate and build facilities, including a new children’s hospital and arts campus. The campaign continues through December 2016, with a goal of raising $1.7 billion.

So far in the campaign, donors have created:

  • 503 new student funds benefiting students for generations to come;
  • 132 new faculty funds, supporting faculty positions throughout campus;
  • 164 new research funds;
  • 419 new program funds;
  • and 45 new facility funds resulting in 13 new or improved facilities on campus.

“Our alumni and friends are helping our students today in countless ways by supporting scholarships and programs, top faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities,” said Lynette Marshall, president and CEO of the University of Iowa Foundation. “Equally important, their donations are ensuring that the UI will remain a world-class institution for generations to come.”

The UI College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) exceeded its original $120 million goal, thanks to alumni and friends. The college seeks to meet its new goal of $140 million, and has raised more than $121 million so far.

CLAS Dean Chaden Djalali expressed gratitude on behalf of the college.

"Our alumni and friends—as well as our own faculty and staff—who have donated to this campaign are extraordinarily generous and far-sighted," Djalali said. " With their help, generations of students will benefit from an exceptional liberal arts education at Iowa, working with professors who are national and international leaders in their disciplines. It is wonderful that our contributors understand how important an investment that is for our future."

To join the campaign, visit www.givetoiowa.org.


The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.