Goal Increase

Less than one year after kicking off Forever Washburn, the largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in Washburn’s storied history, university leadership has announced an increase to the campaign’s overall goal. JuliAnn Mazachek, president of Washburn University, and Marshall Meek, president of the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation shared the exciting announcement at the Fall Kickoff in front of university faculty and staff.

“Everywhere you look, there are exciting things happening on our campus,” said Mazachek. “Enrollment numbers have been record-breaking, renovations and new construction are abundant not only on our main campus, but across the entire Topeka community, and our student-athletes have earned their place on the national stage. Our vision for Washburn has allowed for the expansion of learner success opportunities and pathways, and we truly believe we provide the best environment to live, work, and thrive.”

Forever Washburn is an ambitious campaign, with an initial goal of raising $250 million to support the university through four concise pillars of focus, each with their own fundraising goal. Early success with campaign fundraising efforts, along with continued momentum and interest from university alumni and friends, prompted discussions earlier this year about setting the bar even higher. The new campaign goal is $300 million dollars.

Learn More and Give: Forever Washburn

Each pillar has an updated goal: $90 million for creating opportunities through scholarships, $90 million for enabling success through teaching and program excellence; $30 million for creating connections through real-world learning and service; and $90 million for building community through buildings and optimizing space.

“The response from alumni and friends of Washburn during the first nine months of the Forever Washburn campaign has been absolutely overwhelming,” said Meek.

“When we launched the campaign last November, we were confident, but we did not foresee the tidal wave of enthusiasm and momentum that immediately followed. Our donors have spoken. They believe in the direction Washburn is moving, and they are ready to take us farther, faster than we anticipated. Increasing the goal for Forever Washburn allows us to work with President Mazachek to dream even bigger and move even faster to make those dreams reality. We can’t imagine a more exciting position to be in.”

The pillars of focus in the Forever Washburn campaign remain in alignment with the university’s vision for providing state of the art facilities, numerous learner pathways, and the best possible opportunities to prepare students for the real world.

The Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation ranks in the top 50 of public institutions for endowment per student FTE, according to The National Association of College and University Business Officers.