VP for Development's Report

This year has provided many opportunities to strengthen our shared commitment to the University of Michigan, and donors are essential to the important work we do at Michigan and its profound impact on our world.

In FY 2025, donors gave $886 million in cash, pledges, and planned gifts, up 13 percent from last year. This generous support made FY 2025 the university’s second-highest fundraising year ever. We received gifts of all sizes from our loyal donors, who have supported a wide range of areas, including student support, health care and research, education, campus food pantries, adaptive sports and more. 

A highlight of this fiscal year was U-M’s launch of the most ambitious fundraising campaign in public higher education, Look to Michigan, with a $7 billion goal and mission to take on society’s most pressing challenges. At the close of FY 2025, more than 230,000 donors gave $4.02 billion toward the campaign — 57 percent of that goal.

Notably, Michigan Medicine had a record-setting year, representing 40 percent of the total funds raised by the university in FY 2025. A $40 million gift supported Michigan Medicine’s new Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Troy Center for Specialty Care, a first in Oakland County, and mental health research. A $50 million gift created the Rogel and Blondy Center for Pancreatic Cancer and provides support for clinical care and translational research. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital received a $10 million gift to bring additional beds to the Brandon Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Reese Partlow Pediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit.

Donors continue to prioritize student support. In fact, $152 million was given directly to support U-M students. A $10 million gift supported the Blavin Scholars Program, which offers mentors and coaches for undergraduates who have experienced foster care, kinship care, or are without the support of parents or guardians. A $1 million gift established the Holberg First-Generation Scholarship Fund in LSA to provide need-based support for first-generation, low-income students from Chicago. A $1 million gift to the Maize & Blue Cupboard from the Murray C. and Ina C. Pitt Charitable Trust expands support for students facing food insecurity.

Research is another area donors are passionate about, raising $183 million in FY 2025. A $3 million gift from business leaders and philanthropists Samir and Puja Kaul created a lasting source of funding for the Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering. A $25 million gift established the Weiser Family Center for Breast Cancer at the Rogel Cancer Center, expanding research around the disease. The unwavering dedication of donors plays a crucial role in what’s next at U-M, and I look forward to continuing to advance our vision.

Go Blue! 

Thomas A. Baird
Vice President for Development