Posted on March 30, 2012

In November, we launched Boundless: the Campaign for the University of Toronto and announced our historic $2-billion goal to a gathering of 1,000 students, faculty, alumni, donors, and friends at Convocation Hall. At the end of January, we surpassed the $1-billion mark, the halfway point of the campaign. The University owes tremendous thanks to the many donors who have made this possible with their generous support of our faculty, programs and students.

This milestone is more than just a number—it reflects a strong belief in the importance of our campaign by the public and our community. The thousands of people who have generously contributed to this landmark have made a remarkable investment in higher education and research at the University of Toronto. Institution-wide, we are setting the pace for fundraising in Canada, while broadening our impact on the world stage.

We owe great thanks not only to our donors, but also to the many volunteer leaders who have helped make this achievement possible. The most successful universities in the world—and the philanthropic initiatives that fuel their success—depend on the passionate advocacy of volunteer leaders whose tireless efforts help validate the University’s institutional ambitions and attract meaningful philanthropic investment. Every day, alumni, volunteers and donors strengthen U of T by encouraging alumni engagement, connecting U of T with key industry and government stakeholders, and liaising with and mentoring our students. They make the University a better place and we are grateful for their involvement and their critically important role in helping us reach such a significant campaign milestone.

Since November 20, significant momentum has been building for the Boundless campaign. Innis College, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts and Science successfully launched divisional campaigns, U of T broke ground on the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport and celebrated the opening of the renovated Lassonde Mining Building, which houses new student design studios, teaching spaces and a rooftop meeting room. The next event on the Boundless calendar is the highly anticipated campaign kick-off at Victoria University. Other divisional launches are being planned across our campuses, colleges and faculties, and we encourage our alumni and friends to become involved with and attend these events.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing news of recent benefactions to the University, including a remarkable investment in merit-based student awards, a pacesetting gift to the Institute of Human Development, and a major endowment in the humanities. We look forward to sharing more details about these and other gifts soon.

Passing the halfway mark on our campaign is a major milestone and an occasion to celebrate. We wish to thank our alumni, volunteers and friends for their continued support of University’s exceptional faculty whose commitment to excellence is unparalleled and our outstanding students who will become the next generation of community builders, informed citizens, and global leaders. We look forward to building on the momentum this support has provided as we move towards our historic $2-billion goal.