UBCO students Catherine Fleck-Vidal and Mykela White hold up a banner as President Santa Ono announces the $100,000,000 fundraising campaign has been met a year earlier than planned.
Blue & Gold Campaign goal reached ahead of schedule, raised to $200 million
Today UBC announced the extension of its Blue & Gold Campaign for Students, doubling the target to $200 million by 2022.
It was less than two years ago, in November 2017, when UBC set an ambitious fundraising target of $100 million in three years to ensure more promising students had the financial help to access life-changing education and enhance the student experience. Two years on, the campaign hit this bold goal through the generosity and support of its donors, said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Santa Ono.
More than 6,500 students across both UBC campuses received donor-funded support last year alone-thanks, in part, he said, to the 15,820 donors who have contributed to the campaign including The Jim Pattison Foundation, Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation and The Charles E. Fipke Foundation.
"We're very encouraged by and grateful for the amount of support we've seen for our students," said Ono, while speaking at Create, UBCO's student welcome session Tuesday. "Students are at the heart of what we do. Ultimately, we want to ensure that more students get access to the best possible education without overwhelming financial concerns. Our Blue & Gold Campaign for Students goes a long way to help achieve this and demonstrates the positive impact donor support has on our community."
"We hope that by extending the campaign, more people are inspired to support a larger number of students who can drive lasting and meaningful change and create a better world," he added.
The Blue & Gold Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign for students in UBC's 104-year history. It supports a range of student awards, including fellowships, scholarships, bursaries and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. Areas of emphasis include awards that support students in need, students from under-represented communities, leadership-based academic awards and awards for graduate students.
