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The Boundless campaign is revealing new possibilities for global relevance and impact

Posted on December 8, 2016

Thanks to the generosity of thousands of alumni and friends, the Boundless campaign has raised $2,058,559,590 to date for the University’s highest aspirations and priorities. This milestone, unprecedented in Canadian philanthropic history, speaks to our community’s shared belief in the power of higher education to prepare leaders, transform lives and shape a better world.

Accordion ToggleA TIDE OF SUPPORT

An extraordinary 94,736 alumni and friends have contributed to the Boundless campaign. These vital donations are helping U of T compete with the world’s best universities, pursue path-breaking ideas, and uphold its commitment to excellence, innovation and financial accessibility. At the same time, Boundless has inspired a surge in alumni engagement, pride and affinity at home and around the globe.

BROAD AND DIVERSE GIVING

GIFTS BY SUPPORTERS (IN THOUSANDS)

46% (43,521) MADE THEIR FIRST GIFT TO U OF T DURING BOUNDLESS

51% (47,885) HAVE GIVEN TWO OR MORE GIFTS TO BOUNDLESS

81% (76,402) DONATED LESS THAN $1,000 TO THE CAMPAIGN

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

94,736 TOTAL DONORS
ENOUGH TO FILL TWO BASEBALL STADIUMS

GLOBAL REACH

DONATIONS FROM
93 COUNTRIES ALMOST HALF THE WORLD’S NATIONS

RECORD ENGAGEMENT

168,351 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN U OF T EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD, APPROXIMATELY 90 PEOPLE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE CAMPAIGN. 10,494 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ADVANCE U OF T’S MISSION AS VOLUNTEERS.

Accordion ToggleTRANSFORMATIONAL GIVING

Building on more than a century of philanthropic tradition at U of T, our community of supporters is helping to elevate every aspect of the University at a time when traditional forms of support are constrained, and global competition for talent and ideas is intensifying.

Through the Boundless campaign, our donors are creating countless opportunities for students, transforming our colleges, faculties and campuses, and fuelling vital research and teaching that will strengthen our society.

STUDENT SUPPORT

The Boundless campaign has raised $316 million for student scholarships and programs. This investment is helping us deliver a powerful student experience by funding more than 3,400 scholarships, as well as student-focused initiatives such as experiential learning, international internships, research opportunities and more.

FACULTY SUPPORT

The University has received $203 million for faculty support during the Boundless campaign. This investment is funding more than 80 chairs and professorships, which ensures we can attract and retain the very best people for key research initiatives across our three campuses.

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Our donors have contributed more than $660 million for groundbreaking research centres, initiatives and programs during Boundless. These investments are allowing our students and faculty to rigorously pursue knowledge and innovation for a healthier, more sustainable and prosperous future. The University has also received more than $356 million in philanthropic research grants during the campaign.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

The Boundless campaign has raised $523 million for more than 25 critical infrastructure projects across our three campuses. More than just bricks and mortar, these capital projects are crucibles for societal impact, bringing leading thinkers together and offering vital spaces for research, teaching, discovery and learning.

Accordion ToggleNEW HORIZONS OF IMPACT

The Boundless campaign surpassed its $2‑billion goal in June 2016—six months ahead schedule—thanks to the steadfast commitment and enthusiasm of our community.

With every gift, every initiative supported, every scholarship created, every student whose life we’ve transformed, we have been inspired to set our sights higher and go beyond what we thought was possible. Building on this incredible momentum, we are now in a position to contemplate even greater levels of ambition and impact for the University.

To capitalize on our success and seize new opportunities, the University, with the unanimous support of our principals, deans and volunteer campaign leadership, has decided to expand the Boundless campaign goal to $2.4 billion. This expansion will help fund critically important initiatives inspired by the University’s Three Priorities of leveraging our urban location more fully, strengthening key international partnerships and reimagining undergraduate education.

Generations of alumni, supporters, faculty and students have all played their part in making the University of Toronto the globally influential institution we know today. Together, this community is overcoming barriers to prosperity and understanding, educating the next generation, pursuing innovation, and reimagining what’s possible. Thanks to the remarkable generosity and engagement of our alumni and friends, the Boundless campaign has played a vital role in raising the University to a new level of excellence and impact.

Accordion ToggleEXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP IN SOCIETY

U of T is one of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning, renowned for groundbreaking research, transformative student experiences, and high-achieving alumni who have become some of the most influential thought-leaders of our time.

INTERNATIONALLY RANKED

U of T is consistently ranked one of the top 25 universities in the world, and in the top ten among public universities. In North America, we rank among the top five public universities, along with Berkeley, UCLA, Michigan and Washington.
(Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2016)

REMARKABLE BREADTH

U of T is one of only 12 universities ranked in the top 20 in the world in at least 19 subjects, along with Cambridge, Berkeley, Oxford, UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, Singapore, MIT, Yale, Columbia and Tokyo.
(QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016)

TOP BIOMEDICAL COMPLEX

U of T and its nine hospital partners form a biomedical complex that ranks among the top three in the world.
(NTU Ranking for Clinical Medicine 2016)

DRIVER OF ECONOMIES

Each year, U of T contributes $5.7 billion to the Ontario economy and $15.7 billion to the Canadian economy.
(U of T Economic Impact Report 2013)

EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES

U of T graduates are first in Canada and 14th in the world for employability, and 93 per cent of U of T undergraduates become employed within two years of graduation.
(Times Higher Education, Global Employability University Ranking 2016; Council of Ontario Universities, 2014)

COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY

Nearly 20 per cent of U of T undergraduates are the first members of their family to attend university, while 51 per cent of first-year students come from a family with an annual income of less than $50,000.

Accordion ToggleINNOVATION AND IMPACT

At U of T, a culture dedicated to research and discovery has catalyzed landmark breakthroughs, inspired many inventions,and transformed the University into a global leader in converting innovative ideas intoproducts, services, companies and jobs.

RESEARCH OUTPUT

U of T is ranked second in the world for the number of publications and citations in all fields.
(Thomson Reuters 2010–2015)

EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP

U of T faculty hold more Canada Research Chairs than any other Canadian university by a wide margin. We also consistently win more national and international awards and prizes.

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH FUNDING

Along with the University’s partner hospitals, U of T researchers were awarded $1.1 billion in the last year alone.

AMONG THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE UNIVERSITIES

U of T is one of two Canadian universities on the list of the world’s most innovative institutions.
(Thomson Reuters, The World’s Most Innovative Universities 2016)

INVENTION DISCLOSURES

Between 2011 and 2014, U of T researchers and partner hospitals created over 1,100 inventions in over 60 fields, and filed more than 300 licences and more than 300 new patent applications.

STUDENT INVENTORS

75 per cent of U of T inventions have been co-developed by students or post-doctoral fellows.

STARTUPS

U of T is first in Canada and among the top North American institutions for research-based startups, creating more than 150 startups in the last five years. In 2015, we created as many companies as MIT, based on our intellectual property portfolio. Over the last decade, our startups have raised more than $1 billion in investments.

STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Our nine accelerators and incubators assist more than 200 student-led startup teams each year. Last year, our student teams raised $19 million and generated $2.5 million in sales.

Accordion ToggleGLOBAL FOOTPRINT

Rooted in the world’s most culturally diverse city-region, U of T delivers global impact through its vibrant network of alumni on six continents, international student presence, and partnerships with distinguished institutions around the world.

GLOBAL REACH

557,000 U of T alumni live, work and contribute to civil society in more than 190 countries.

DIVERSE STUDENT BODY

U of T’s student population includes more than 16,000 international students hailing from approximately 900 municipalities worldwide.

PARTNERSHIPS WORLDWIDE

U of T partners with more than 8,000 institutions in hundreds of municipalities around the world. 50 per cent of U of T publications are co-authored with international researchers.

INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY

U of T has student exchange programs with more than 150 partner institutions in 39 countries.

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