University of Oklahoma & Oregon State University Launch Large Campaigns Exceeding $1 Billion

Two universities in the United States, the University of Oklahoma and Oregon State University have announced the launch of two large campaigns to surpass the $1 billion amount.

In a statement posted on its website, the University of Oklahoma announced the public phase of “Lead On: The University of Oklahoma’s Campaign for the Future,” the largest philanthropic campaign in the history of higher education in Oklahoma, aiming to raise a total of $2 billion, Erudera.com reports.

According to the statement, the campaign supports the university’s main tradition by offering affordable and unparalleled education, making a “real-world impact through pathbreaking research and innovation,” providing excellent health care in the state and creating an environment where others feel welcome.

OU President Joseph Harroz Jr described the campaign as an extraordinary opportunity to shape the university’s future into what was always planned but could never be done before.

“Our goal is incredibly ambitious, but we know that through the unwavering loyalty of our OU Family, we will seize this moment to build upon our storied legacy. Together, we will achieve nothing short of transformational,” OU President said.

The campaign was initially introduced on July 1, 2020, and will close on June 30, 2027. While the goal is to raise $2 billion, the campaign has so far collected $600 million.

At the same time, Oregon State University (OSU) publicly launched on October 14, 2022, its campaign named “Believe It: The Campaign for Oregon State University.”

Hundreds of people gathered for the launch event in the Memorial Union Quad during Homecoming Weekend to celebrate the campaign’s achievements. The work for this campaign led by the OSU Foundation started in 2017, and since then, it has raised $1 billion, whereas the target is $1.75 billion amount. Moreover, donors have offered about 500 new scholarships, fellowships and grants to support students, a 26 percent increase from the time campaign was initiated.

The amount that will be collected through the campaign will be allocated for the following priorities, according to the OSU foundation:

• $460 million for student support (including here scholarships, fellowships and experiential learning funds)
• $500 million for faculty positions and support funds
• $320 million for new facilities, equipment and renovations
• $250 million for emerging strategic initiatives
• $220 million for outreach programs

“Additionally, the university has already surpassed a half-million engagements — such as mentoring, volunteering and advocacy — an important priority of the campaign that will strengthen OSU through community-building as well as fundraising,” the university said in a statement.

Similarly, the University of Florida informed its “Go Greater” campaign has already raised $4.5 billion.