University of Alabama sets fundraising record with $226 million in 2022

The University of Alabama raised nearly $226 million in charitable gifts and pledges during the 2022 fiscal year, setting a new fundraising record.

The total, which includes contributions from nearly 60,000 donors, follows the one-year anniversary of the public launch of the Rising Tide capital campaign. The campaign aims to raise $1.5 billion to bolster all areas of campus, ranging from student scholarships and faculty research to campus facilities and athletics.

The 10-year campaign is beginning its seventh year and already has raised more than $1.16 billion, according to UA.

“UA’s extraordinary fundraising success is a direct reflection of how our faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and friends steadfastly support our mission and vision,” said UA President Stuart R. Bell, in a news release.

“Our stature as a leader in higher education continues to be enhanced by the generous philanthropy of our many stakeholders, and as a result, our students reap the rewards of the Alabama experience," Bell said.

This year’s record also brings UA’s five-year fundraising average to $205 million since 2018, which is double the average amount raised in the five years immediately before Bell’s arrival on campus in 2015.

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The 2022 total was boosted by the family of ADTRAN founder Mark Smith, who committed to giving $20 million for UA's new Performing Arts Academic Center. The center will be named the Smith Family Center for the Performing Arts, pending approval by the UA System board of trustees.

“Our family’s passion for the arts goes back many generations,” said Mark’s son, Clay Smith, who made the gift alongside his wife, Cameron, and his mother, Linda Smith, a longtime resident of Huntsville. “Music and the arts have impacted our family tremendously. They defined my father, and they helped define me. To give back to the community in this way while honoring my dad’s memory is incredibly rewarding.”

The Smith Family Performing Arts Center will connect to the restored Bryce Main building, which will house four new performance theatres for the department of theatre and dance as well as UA’s new Catherine and Pettus Randall Welcome Center.

Gifts made toward the 2022 Bama Blitz online crowdfunding campaign also played a role in the successful fundraising year. Bama Blitz also set a record this year, raising nearly $6.2 million in three days with 93% of the gifts coming in at $500 or less.

According to UA, several gifts made this year established new endowed chairs and professorships, a key goal of the Rising Tide campaign. UA's institution's goal is to create 75 new endowed faculty positions by the time the eRising Tide wraps up in 2026.

New endowed chairs and professorships committed in 2021-22 include:

• Robert and Laura Abernathy Endowed Chair in medicinal chemistry

• Bromberg Family Endowed Professorship in marketing

• Christian Mitchell Endowed Professorship in real estate

• William B. Oakley Endowed Professorship in information technology

• Sidney A. and Angela B. Tankersley Endowed Professorship in metallurgical engineering

“We have truly incredible alumni and donors at the University of Alabama,” said Bob Pierce, vice president for advancement at UA.

“To be at this point of the Rising Tide and to continue setting fundraising records is a testament to the dedication of our supporters and their passion for the Capstone. They are transforming the University and changing the lives of our students through their philanthropy.”

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: University of Alabama sets fundraising record with $226 million in 2022