Utah State University Surpasses Fundraising Goals With $63 Million Raised

From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, Utah State University achieved a remarkable fundraising milestone, securing $63 million through 25,845 contributions, marking a significant rise in donations since 2018.

The past year saw gifts from 8,249 donors, of which, more than $10.7 million were from donations under $25,000, reflecting nearly 26,000 individual gifts.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming generosity of our donors this year,” said Matt White, vice president for Advancement and president of the USU Foundation. “Their dedication enhances our programs, supports our students, and strengthens the USU community."

Creating Aggie Impact

Since the launch of the “Create Your Aggie Impact” campaign in fall 2022, donors have contributed significantly, resulting in an increase of $10.9 million from the prior year and a total of over $44.7 million for “Building a University of Distinction.”

Alums Bob ’64, ’66 MS and DeAnn Fehlman created the Robert Gustave and DeAnn Frank Fehlman German Lab in the newly constructed Mehdi Heravi Global Learning and Teaching Center, driven by a belief in the transformative power of education.

“We wanted to pay homage to the institution that shaped our lives,” Bob explained. “USU gave us so much, and we wanted to give back in whatever way we could.”

Additionally, $13.4 million was donated to “Accelerate Access and Opportunities” for students, $4 million to “Develop Solutions to the World’s Challenges” through research, and nearly $468,000 to “Elevate the Educational Experience” by supporting faculty excellence.

Scholarship and Academic Support

Donor generosity has led to significant strides in supporting students, faculty, and programs at USU. This year, 57 new endowed scholarships were created, distributing over $5.5 million to assist 2,087 students. USU welcomed 40 first-time endowment donors. Expendable scholarships also provided more than $2.8 million to students.

Mitch ’89 and Leslie ’89 Butikofer, Aggie alumni, supported the College of Engineering through regular donations, creating an endowment to help students achieve financial stability.

In fact, Mitch and Leslie didn’t realize their annual donations could go toward creating an endowment until they began working with a development officer from the university.

Endowments at USU allow donors to transfer their private dollars to public purposes with the assurance that their gifts will serve these purposes for as long as the institution continues to exist. The couple was honored to create an endowment to help students.

“We know those $500 and $1,000 scholarships can make an impact on a student’s school year,” Leslie said.

USU student Alyssa McNutt, a kinesiology major and USU student-athlete, is one such student whose success at USU is thanks, in large part, to the scholarships she received to help pay for her education, including the Peter L. Kranz Scholarship, which alleviated the stress of out-of-state tuition and living expenses, allowing her to focus on academics and athletics.

“Helping out a young adult coming into themselves as a person and providing them with opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise is so thoughtful,” Alyssa said of those who donate to student scholarships. “It has made my job as a student so much easier.”

University-Wide Support

More than 7,800 USU faculty and staff contributed $638,000, demonstrating their dedication to the university.

“The faculty and staff who support USU not only inspire confidence in external donors, but also foster a culture of philanthropy within the university community,” said White.

Alumni Support

Aggies continued to provide financial support with 3,569 alumni donors giving $36 million.

Eric Bastian ’84, ’87 M.S., ’89 Ph.D., supports USU’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences through Dairy West’s BUILD Dairy program, emphasizing the importance of research and innovation in the dairy industry.

“Research is at the core of the BUILD Dairy program,” Eric said. “Through research, the program not only equips students with invaluable skills, but also provides dairy companies with critical insights that drive innovation, ultimately benefiting dairy consumers as well.”

Aggies in Utah also show pride on the road through the Aggie License Plate Scholarship Program, that, over its lifetime, has generated $2.8 million for student scholarships.

Aggie Family Scholarships

A total of seven Aggie Family Endowed Scholarships were created with donations equaling $202,000. A match of $175,000 was given in addition to this amount from an anonymous donor.

Kyle Snow, a proud alum who earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in 1996 and 1997, is a firm believer in the university’s land-grant mission.

In 2000, he moved his family home and started as a financial officer at Northeastern Counseling. Established in 1997, Northeastern Counseling is an Interlocal Agreement between Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties to provide mental health and substance abuse services to the citizens of Northeastern Utah. As CEO of Northeastern Counseling, Kyle feels it is important to “grow your own.”

A dynamic collaboration between Northeastern Counseling and USU Uintah Basin has effectively enabled the development of in-house social work professionals. USU students enrolled in the social work program are given the opportunity to work with trained professionals at Northeastern, and are also able work with actual patients in a clinical setting, all while receiving feedback and direction from a mentor.

“The partnership has been such a success that we decided to put our money where our mouth is,” Kyle said. “We created the Northeastern Counseling Center Aggie Family Scholarship Endowment in the Social Work program at USU Uintah Basin.”

In-State and Out-of-State Donors

Utah State received donations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 28 counties within Utah. The highest total amount came from Cache County with $18.9 million from 2,480 donors. Salt Lake County followed with $18.5 million from 753 donors, and Davis County with $2.5 million from 557 donors. Out-of-state donations were led by Idaho ($5.7 million), Montana ($3.5 million), and California ($1.9 million).

“Support from our donors is essential in propelling our university forward,” said USU President Elizabeth Cantwell. “Their generous donations enable us to spearhead innovation and research, cultivate robust partnerships, and train ethical leaders prepared to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.”