FAU Surpasses 'Transcend Tomorrow' Comprehensive Campaign Goal, Raises More Than $617M

BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Atlantic University has concluded its first comprehensive fundraising campaign in more than 20 years - "Transcend Tomorrow: The Campaign for Florida Atlantic University" - raising $617,376,995.44. More than 65,000 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends made gifts to FAU during the campaign.

While campaign donations support students, faculty and programs in every college and unit at Florida Atlantic, the campaign also established three priority areas: scholarships and student-success initiatives; health care training and research; and programs that protect the environment.

"Thanks to the vision of my predecessor, John Kelly, and the generosity of more than 65,000 donors, the 'Transcend Tomorrow' campaign has elevated Florida Atlantic to new heights in research, student success, athletics and community impact," said FAU President Adam Hasner. "Thank you to everyone who helped us reach this milestone. We are just getting started."

"Transcend Tomorrow" played a large part in many significant achievements at the university in recent years. FAU was just one of 21 esteemed institutions nationwide to earn both Research 1 (R1) and Opportunity College & University (OCU) designations in the new 2025 Carnegie Classifications on behalf of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Campaign donations also enabled development of several buildings at Florida Atlantic with monumental impact - including the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence, and the Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building currently under construction. And with these monies, more talented students were offered additional opportunities through scholarships and student-success initiatives.

"This campaign shows what is possible through a clear vision and a plan to realize that vision," said Piero Bussani, chair of the Florida Atlantic Board of Trustees. "We are proud to have the support of a generous community who contributed to making this significant impact at Florida Atlantic and the larger region."

More than 10 years ago, a $16 million donation from the Schmidt Family Foundation marked the beginning of the campaign. Longtime Florida Atlantic benefactor and alumnus Richard L. Schmidt '70 said then that to compete at the highest levels in and out of the classroom, students must have access to premier facilities.

"I believe that as much today as I did back then," Schmidt said. "The success of Florida Atlantic over the past decade fostered by the 'Transcend Tomorrow' campaign proves that our investment in our hometown university has paid off tremendously. I'm extremely proud to be a part of this effort."

Florida Atlantic achieved record-breaking annual fundraising as the campaign entered its public phase and received several transformational gifts from longtime supporters since then.

"I am proud to have worked with friends in the community who believe in the mission of Florida Atlantic and understand the monumental difference the university can make in this region," said David Green, interim vice president for Institutional Advancement. "I am also grateful to our staff for connecting people's passion with key university programs and ensuring the success of this campaign."

With 65,120 total contributors, including a record number of students and alumni, the campaign's success echoes Florida Atlantic's origins in which public fundraising made it possible to open its doors in 1964.

"This is the culmination of a great effort by our friends, alumni, students and the Florida Atlantic staff who pulled together to turn a plan into reality," said Brian Poulin, chairman of the FAU Foundation Board. "On behalf of the Foundation Board, I wish to thank everyone who took part and made a real impact for our students and faculty and throughout our community."

To learn more about Transcend Tomorrow: The Campaign for Florida Atlantic University, visit transcendtomorrow.fau.edu.

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University serves more than 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses along Florida's Southeast coast. Recognized as one of only 21 institutions nationwide with dual designations from the Carnegie Classification - "R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production" and "Opportunity College and University" - FAU stands at the intersection of academic excellence and social mobility. Ranked among the Top 100 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report, FAU is also nationally recognized as a Top 25 Best-In-Class College and cited by Washington Monthly as "one of the country's most effective engines of upward mobility." As a university of first choice for students across Florida and the nation, FAU welcomed its most academically competitive incoming class in university history in Fall 2025. To learn more, visit www.fau.edu.

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SOURCE Florida Atlantic University