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.
Report: Russian Prospect Elizaveta Astakhova Commits to UNC Women's Basketball
According to a report from On3’s Talia Goodman, Elizaveta Astakhova, a six-foot-one wing who spent the 2024-25 basketball season playing professionally in Russia, committed to head coach Courtney Banghart and UNC Tuesday afternoon. NEWS: Russian 2025 prospect Elizaveta Astakhova has committed to North Carolina, her agents Tequan Dean and Alex Karavanen told @On3sports. The 6-1 […]
3 UNC Athletes Finish as National Runners-Up at NCAA Track & Field Championships
Three different Tar Heels – shot putter Tommy Kitchell and runners Makayla Paige and Ethan Strand – finished as the national runners-up in their respective events at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Oregon last week. Kitchell, competing in his last collegiate event, achieved a new personal best and a school record with […]
UNC Researcher: Overhaul of CDC Vaccine Advisory Group Adds to 'Incredibly Stressful' Health Environment
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. announced one week ago he would shake up one of the key volunteer groups that advises the Centers for Disease Control and federal government on how to use vaccines. All 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), who were approved by President Joe […]
UNC's Chloe Humphrey Wins Honda Sport Award for Lacrosse
UNC star freshman Chloe Humphrey has been named the 2025 winner of the Honda Sport Award for lacrosse. The Honda Sport Award honors the national players of the year in all collegiate women’s sports. Honda Humphrey 🤌 Chloe Humphrey is this year’s winner of the Honda Sport Award for Lacrosse! pic.twitter.com/VctEuZGEEB — UNC Women's Lacrosse […]
College Baseball Foundation Names UNC's Jake Knapp National Pitcher of the Year
UNC right-hander Jake Knapp has been named the National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 👏 Jake Knapp is the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿. pic.twitter.com/uFaFnNZAWy — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 13, 2025 Knapp missed the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the […]
›