Updates on Capital Campaigns at 36 Colleges and Universities

The University of Texas at Austin took in $134.5-million in capital campaign donations during the second quarter of 2010, ranking first among institutions surveyed by The Chronicle. The increase put Texas 40 percent of the way toward making its $3-billion goal by 2014.

Texas has the sixth-largest capital campaign in the country. But the college was one of three institutions responding to The Chronicle’s survey, along with Boston College and Rutgers University, that is still short of the halfway mark for its campaign goal. (Rutgers went public with its campaign in October.)

David Onion, associate vice president for development, said Texas was “a little behind the pace that we desire” to meet the 2014 end date, but the university was fortunate to have the large support received so far, given the tough economy.

Mr. Onion said that during the economic downturn, people have been less likely to make stock gifts. Donors, he said, have been making smaller gifts, and have made more planned gifts than in the past.

“We have an aggressive goal,” he said. “We have high aspirations and we believe in high standards, but we’ll get there.”

Of the 36 institutions conducting $1-billion or greater capital campaigns, 24 responded to The Chronicle‘s survey. The University of Nebraska and Princeton University made the biggest strides toward completion in the second quarter, moving from 60 percent to 68 percent complete and 64 percent to 71 percent complete, respectively.

In addition to Rutgers, two other universities—Texas Tech University and the University of California at Davis—recently went public with $1-billion plus campaigns.

Colleges conducting $1-billion or greater campaigns are welcome to send details about their efforts to data@chronicle.com.

$1-Billion Capital Campaigns at 36 Colleges and Universities