The University of Dallas announced today a successful close to the 2019-20 fiscal year, which ended May 31. Total cash gifts received in the 2019-20 fiscal year totaled nearly $4.9 million. This figure represents a 24% increase in received revenue as compared to the 2018-19 fiscal year.  

“That this increase came during a time of a global health, financial and employment crisis is a remarkable testament to the generosity of our alumni and friends,” said Jason Wu Trujillo, UD’s Vice President for University Advancement. 

Much of the growth in received revenue flowed from the university’s recent focus on raising money for new endowed funds. From 1956 to 2019, the university established an average of 1.2 new endowments per year. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, UD established 16 such endowments. 

“Endowment giving is critical to the life of any perpetual institution,” said Trujillo. “These are the funds that will sustain UD into its second century, which begins in 2056. Of course, we must address current needs, but we must also build an endowment for the next generation of the UD family, and the generation after that one.”    

Most of these new endowments are named for long-serving and much-beloved faculty members. A partial list of those new endowments can be found here. The publicity surrounding these new endowments centered on in-person ceremonies, which were halted due to COVID-19.

“I want to express my gratitude to alumni and parents of students who stepped up in a big way this year to help us make impressive progress in endowed scholarships,” said President Thomas S. Hibbs, BA ’82 MA ’83. “As an alumnus, I love the fact that so many of the scholarships have been established in honor of legendary teachers. Honoring the past as a way of building a hopeful future is integral to our mission and provides momentum for future success.”  

To address the urgent needs of UD students related to the spring crisis, President Hibbs established the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Over 500 alumni and friends contributed over $216,000 to help 350 current students and counting with immediate and unexpected needs related to the global pandemic. 

Approximately 50 students have requested new or additional assistance from the fund for the fall semester primarily because they or their parents have lost jobs due to the economic and employment downturn. To help these students, you may make a gift to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund here.