UCLA Athletics Raises Third-Highest Annual Total in School History
August 21, 2019 | Bruin Athletics
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA Athletic Department announced today the collection of $41,221,002 in private donations during the 2019 fiscal year (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019), surpassing its annual goal of $35 million by 17 percent. This total, the third-highest annual total in UCLA Athletics' 100-year history, came from nearly 9,000 individual gifts. It brings the department to $317,862,228 total raised in private support as part of the University's $4.2 billion Centennial Campaign, surpassing a recently increased goal of $300 million (original goal was $260 million).
"Over the past year, thousands of UCLA supporters stepped up, once again, to invest selflessly and generously in the continued success of UCLA's student-athletes," said UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero. "It is because of the vision and support of our alumni, friends and fans that we can continue to provide resources to our student-athletes, coaches and staffs at a level that allows them to be at their best. I would like to thank our development team, led by Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations Josh Rebholz, for its continued efforts to forge connections between all 25 of our programs and the members of the larger community who can contribute to their development."
The UCLA Centennial Campaign, which began in 2013 and concludes this December, also surpassed its initial goal of $4.2 billion, which includes UCLA Athletics' goal of raising $300 million โ one of the most aggressive fundraising efforts in the history of intercollegiate athletics. The campaign is dedicated to providing the student-athlete with an unparalleled experience both academically and athletically. It is focused on impacting UCLA Athletics in three distinct ways: the further enhancement of operational support that provides resources for more than 650 UCLA student-athletes, student-athlete support through endowments, and capital projects that lead to state-of-the-art facilities.
This past year's fundraising success was highlighted by one eight-figure contribution, Mo Ostin's $15 million leadership gift toward the planned Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes, and four seven-figure donations that included a $1 million gift from Ted and Danielle Ackerley for the planned Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athlete. It also included an anonymous $1 million gift toward the THEN NOW FOREVER fund in support of UCLA Football, a still-to-be-announced $1 million gift toward UCLA Baseball, and finally an anonymous $4 million gift in support of student-athlete scholarships through the Wooden Athletic Fund.
Eighty-five individuals, members of UCLA's exclusive 1919 Society, have made contributions of $1 million or more in their lifetime in support of UCLA Athletics. Sixty of those 85 individuals have eclipsed the milestone since the Centennial Campaign began in 2013.
This past year UCLA was able to establish nine new student-athlete scholarship endowments with $1,188,403 received in private support through the Forever Champions initiative. Forever Champions allows donors to create an everlasting endowment, directed to the sport of choice, to support the educational and athletic experience of UCLA student-athletes for years to come. These generous donors enjoy exclusive, lifetime benefits through the Wooden Athletic Fund. UCLA has now generated more than $18 million in new scholarship endowment funding in the last three years.
Capital projects funding amounted to more than $18 million in the 2019 fiscal year, as UCLA opened the new home of UCLA Soccer, Wallis Annenberg Stadium, in August 2018, and UCLA Tennis debuted the new state-of-the-art Katz Family Scoreboard in January 2019. UCLA also announced, once total funding is secured, plans to build the three-level Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes which will include study spaces, tutorial areas, state-of-the-art technology, and offices for UCLA Athletics' Academic and Student Services staff situated over nearly 20,000 square feet of new space. In addition to the academic space, the facility will feature a new Hall of Champions entry display showcasing UCLA's 118 NCAA Championship trophies and linking the Mo Ostin Academic Center for Student-Athletes to the existing UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame. These projects continue to keep UCLA positioned to train and compete in the highest quality venues for years to come.
In the coming year, athletic department expenses are projected to reach more than $125 million. With no state funding, 98% of all total expenses are the direct responsibility of UCLA Athletics. With costs across the board continuing to rise as the landscape of intercollegiate athletics evolve, it is vital for UCLA Athletics to generate revenue through private donations as existing self-controlled revenue streams have now been maximized, namely through the department's shoe and apparel partnership with Under Armour and multimedia rights agreement with Learfield IMG College.
For more information on the Centennial Campaign or to support UCLA student-athletes, contact the UCLA Athletics Development Office at 310-206-3302 or visit www.woodenathleticfund.com.