Lillis Hall on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore., in an undate photo provided by the university. The Oregon150 Initiative is a fundraising effort centered around student support and building projects in Portland and Eugene.
Courtesy of University of Oregon
A new half-billion-dollar fundraising effort from the University of Oregon is already two-thirds of the way to reaching its goal.
The Oregon150 Initiative, announced this week, is centered around student support and building projects in Portland and Eugene.
The initiative includes donations to the university dating back to 2021. So far, it has raised more than $359 million. The goal is to reach a half-billion by the end of 2026, the same year UO will celebrate its 150th anniversary.
Oregon150 follows several years of fundraising marked by large philanthropic gifts, including more than $400 million to launch the Ballmer Institute for Children’s Behavioral Health in 2022. Close to half of that philanthropic gift provided the lead donation for the initiative.
A large chunk of the money will go toward student-centered programs aimed at helping more undergraduates afford a higher education and graduate on time. This includes bolstering the university’s existing financial aid programs, like the PathwayOregon scholarship. The program covers tuition and fees for eligible Oregon undergraduates. It does not pay for housing, food, transportation or other basic needs students may have.
“There remains a need for emergency funds that gives the university flexibility to support students’ greatest need at any particular time,” said Joe Buck, vice president of university advancement at UO.
Buck said UO did not carve out specific goals for student basic needs in the current initiative but it is something the university could rally donors around in the future. UO does have an emergency need fund for students seeking additional financial assistance.
Oregon’s three largest public universities approved tuition increases for next school year, deepening concerns among students that higher education is becoming less affordable in the state. Lack of state investment in Oregon universities has made college affordability a bigger problem here than in many other states.
In addition to fundraising for tuition aid, the Oregon150 will also reinforce student support services, academic programs and career prep programs. This part of the initiative has raised more than $250 million so far.
The other bucket of fundraising is dedicated to two large capital projects. The first will focus on renovations for UO’s new Portland campus and the construction of a new building for the Ballmer Institute. In 2022, UO bought the former Concordia University campus in Northeast Portland. UO President Karl Scholz compared the purchase to that of a new home.
“As soon as you buy a new house there are unexpected things that need to be done,” said Scholz. “Part of what Oregon150 is about is raising money to finish the capital needs of this Portland campus. I think it’s going to be a wonderful addition to the city, the region and the state.”
The fundraising effort will also go toward the construction of a new building in Portland that will house the Ballmer Institute and Prevention Science Institute.
The second capital project will help continue the construction of an engineering and research facility that’s part of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus in Eugene.
Oregon150 has raised more than $100 million for its capital projects.
UO’s previous campaign, which ran for seven years between 2014 and 2021, raised more than $3 billion. That multibillion-dollar fundraiser was a record setter for UO. Oregon150 will link that fundraising to the university’s next large campaign, launching in 2026.
“[The initiative] is certainly not a bridge to nowhere,” said Joe Buck. “It’s a bit of a lead-up fundraising initiative to something that will be much broader, much more comprehensive. Come 2026, you should expect something bigger from the University of Oregon.”