Marian University completes record-breaking fundraising year with $61.2 million raised to advance strategic plan

Engaging nearly 4,500 donors, Marian University averages over $1 million dollars per week in donations in academic year 2022-23

Marian University recently completed its single largest fundraising year ever, with $61.2 million in gifts and more than 4,481 total donors – both the largest in university history.

All gifts during the fiscal year were in support of the Journey to 2030: Always Forward strategic plan which launched in October 2022. The goal is to raise $500 million by 2030, with this record-breaking year the current total is $296 million.

This plan calls for continued remarkable growth in enrollment, academic programs, scholarships to ensure that students from all economic backgrounds can receive a high-quality education, expansion of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, and instituting the E. S. Witchger School of Engineering.

“On behalf of Marian University, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our Board of Trustees, our leadership committee, and to the many donors who support Catholic higher education. While Marian seeks to make an even more dramatic impact with our students and professions, and advance the common good, we have made tremendous progress this year and are very thankful to our donors and the community for their support,” said Daniel J. Elsener, President of Marian University. “As St. Francis of Assisi proclaimed, ‘Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.“

In 2002, Marian university secured just over one million dollars in grants and donations. By 2013, fundraising increased to average nearly 12 million per year or one million per month. In that same year, the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine opened its door to the first class of future physicians. By 2022-23 academic year, the university averaged raising one million dollars per week.

With 99 percent of Marian University undergraduate students receiving institutional based scholarships or grants and nearly 40 percent of students eligible to receive federal Pell Grants, scholarship support is a critical focus.

Gifts to the Journey to 2030: Always Forward strategic plan will support all university funding priorities including the new E. S. Witchger School of Engineering; Fred S. Klipsch Educator’s College; Mission and Identity, Access and Success Scholarships, Byrum School of Business, Athletics, Health Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Some of the Journey to 2030’s strategic plan lead gifts included:

• U.S. Department of Education – $15.3 million
• Indiana Department of Education: Expanding Healthy Minds initiative – $10.7 million
• Michael Browning and Browning Family: Education Scholarships – $5 million
• Lilly Endowment: Science of Reading, Christian Parenting and College and Community Collaboration -- $2.2M
• U.S. Department of Education: Expand Community Schools – $1.8 million
• Mike and Bea Becher: scholarships - $1 million
• Phil ‘81 and Teri ‘80 Carson: scholarships- $1 million
• Anonymous: Marian Athletics - $1 million
• Ascension Health: Health Sciences - $1 million
• Adrelean Stropki Family: Marian University Ancilla College scholarships - $1 million

For more details on the Journey to 2030: Always Forward initiative visit www.marian.edu/journeyto2030.