After raising $2.19B, UC closes 5-year Next, Now campaign

The University of Cincinnati Foundation has officially closed the book on its “Next, Now” campaign, a $2.19 billion effort that will benefit the school, Bearcat athletics, UC Health and thousands of students for decades to come.

The record-setting fundraiser ended on June 30, having surpassed its $2 billion goal nearly a full year ahead of schedule. The campaign – formally known as Next, Now: The Campaign for Cincinnati – launched publicly in 2019 in conjunction with the university’s bicentennial year.

Next, Now nearly tripled UC  Foundation’s previous record campaign, Proudly Cincinnati. It raised $1.1 billion by its June 30, 2013, close.

“Our Bearcat family of donors and alumni has made a vast impact by supporting our students through scholarships, soaring new spaces, and life-altering opportunities for our student-athletes,” said President Neville G. Pinto.

Positioning UC for the next 200 years

In total, more than 165,000 people donated during the Next, Now campaign, which has or will support 793 financial scholarships, upgraded medical centers, groundbreaking medical, an array of new campus buildings and spaces, and renovations or construction of several athletic facilities.

Donations came from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 49 other countries. Those donors include the estate of UC alum Hugh H. Hoffman, whose $56 million gift was the largest donation to scholarships in the school’s 200-plus-year history. The Hoffman estate also gave $13.5 million to revolutionize research and patient care related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute.

Large gifts were a major part of the campaign. However, the fundraiser’s success is the result of thousands of smaller donations. UC reported Tuesday that 92.3% of all gifts received were under $1,000. During the life of the campaign, 37,287 unique donors contributed to scholarship funds at UC.

The UC community will experience the impact of the campaign for years to come. About $592 million came in endowment gifts. A small percent of the money will be spun off each year, but the UC Foundation will invest it so it will continue to grow in perpetuity. Another $280 million was in unrealized estate gifts.

A full breakdown of the impact of the Next, Now campaign is available on the UC Foundation website.

“This benevolent partnership has positioned us as we embark on the next 200 years of UC greatness,” Pinto said.

University of Cincinnati Foundation