UNC announced last month that the university received over $500 million in donor commitments in the most recent fiscal year.

This nearly $50 million improvement over last year marks the third consecutive record fundraising year for UNC.

Vice chancellor for university development David Routh said he believes that excitement surrounding the university has helped fuel these unparalleled fundraising numbers.

“I think we’ve gotten better as a university over the last several years about telling the story of the breadth of incredibly good things that are going on at Carolina,” said Routh.

This announcement came just over a month before the start of Carolina’s public fundraising campaign, which will be announced at a celebration during the weekend of the Carolina-Notre Dame football game on October 7.

Routh claims that private donors are a huge part of making tuition at UNC stay affordable.

‘We’re very concerned about keeping tuition affordable, and we’re very realistic about levels of state support,” said Ruth. “We’re deeply appreciative of the support we get from the state of North Carolina, but if you want to do those new things – those cutting edge things that we know we need to do to stay excellent – we really need private support.”

Some noteworthy donations last year included a $25 million gift of art and endowment funding from Sheldon and Leena Peck to support European and American art collections at the Ackland Art Museum, an $18 million gift from the Shuford family of Hickory to support entrepreneurship in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, and a $4 million gift from Alice Lehman of Charlotte to support cellular immunotherapy research at the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center.

Related Stories
‹
$60 Million Gifts Help UNC Launch Fundraising Drive
Two Greensboro families have donated a combined $61 million to UNC-Chapel Hill.
UNC Rolls Out Fundraising Announcements After Campaign Kickoff
UNC officials spent the weekend rolling out announcements following a major fundraising campaign launch on Friday. “We’re announcing today that our campaign goal is to raise $4.25 billion,” UNC Chancellor Carol Folt said at an event on Friday morning leading to a weekend’s worth of activity. “That is a historic figure,” Folt said. “It’s the […]
UNC Honored for Fundraising Efforts
UNC has been awarded the sustained excellence award in fundraising by the Council for Advancement and Support Education, the university announced Wednesday. Carolina is one of nine public universities recognized for the award. This announcement comes after UNC announced a second-consecutive record-setting fundraising total across the university over the last year. The sustained excellence award […]
UNC Sets Record Fundraising Total...Again
UNC received a record-breaking $495 million in commitments in fiscal year 2016. This is the second consecutive year that UNC set a new fundraising record, eclipsing last year’s total by nearly $50 million. “Today’s results – the highest level of fundraising support in the University’s 222-year history – is a proud moment for Carolina,” said Chancellor […]
UNC Receives Second-Highest Fundraising Total
...a nine-percent increase from the previous year.
Kelly's Career Night Leads UNC Women's Basketball Past Miami
Junior guard Reniya Kelly scored a career-high 24 points to help UNC overcome a halftime deficit and beat visiting Miami 73-62 at Carmichael Arena Thursday night. CROWN HER 👑 A career-high 24 points for Reniya! pic.twitter.com/8ryipYktI7 — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) January 16, 2026 Kelly’s outburst came after the junior from Alabama hadn’t reached double […]
UNC Men's Basketball at Cal (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC will wrap up its west coast swing Saturday when it visits Cal in Berkeley. It will be only the second time the Tar Heels have visited the Bears’ Haas Pavilion. If you aren’t out in California with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on […]
John Preyer Resigns from UNC Board of Trustees
John Preyer, who has served on the UNC Board of Trustees for more than six years and was formerly its chair, has resigned from his position. According to documents obtained by Chapelboro, Preyer notified UNC Secretary Chris McClure of his resignation, effective Jan. 9, in a letter last week. He then sent an email to […]
Chansky's Notebook: Unlikely Losing
With the ACC much stronger than last season, close games and losing is inevitable, but not the way UNC has been doing it.
UNC Men's Basketball Collapses Late in Loss at Stanford
Stanford finished the game on an 11-3 run to overcome a late deficit and stun UNC 95-90 at Maples Pavilion Wednesday night. UNC had led for almost the entire game thanks to strong efforts from Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar, who both finished the night with 26 points. But they were outgunned by sensational Stanford […]
›