Donor support of UC and UC Health reaches historic level

Donor support of UC and UC Health reaches historic level

$311,919,806 raised in 2025-2026 fiscal year

This summer, every law student at the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law who applied for a Summer Public Interest fellowship will receive a fully funded learning experience, fostering growth for University of Cincinnati students wishing to pursue real-world experience in public service. This 30% increase in fully funded fellowship participation is a direct result of transformative philanthropy.

Nearby, the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute is advancing a bold vision for the future of personalized neurological care. Thanks to donors, the institute is building a revolutionary learning health system that integrates patient data with the latest research, enhancing outcomes for patients and their families.

These milestones are just two examples of what UC and UC Health donors have made possible during a record-breaking fundraising year, with total giving reaching a historic high of $311,919,806.

"This new record reflects the remarkable generosity of our donors," said UC Foundation President Rich Bundy. "Their commitment empowers UC and UC Health to transform lives through student success, faculty excellence and groundbreaking advances in healthcare."

Relationships inspire philanthropy

Donors honored relationships, lifted others and inspired future leaders through many of this past fiscal year's most extraordinary acts of generosity:

• George G. Bemis, Jr., MD, Med '64, honored his father, George Bemis, Sr., MD, and friend Thomas F. Boat, MD, with a $15 million bequest supporting an endowed chair at the College of Medicine.
• The Alpaugh Foundation's $10 million estate gift to the Alpaugh Family Economics Center demonstrated a lifetime of commitment from Peter Alpaugh, whose father, Walter "Pete" Alpaugh, was one of the center's original founders in 1976.
• Henry A. Nasrallah, MD, and Amelia T. Nasrallah established an endowed professorship at the College of Medicine, reflecting their dedication to their field of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience. The first individual to hold the Dr. Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Endowed Professorship in Psychiatric Neuroscience is their colleague Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, whom they have known for 25 years.
• The Klekamp family made a $43.2 million gift to the College of Law, honoring their father Donald Klekamp, JD '57. This also inspired the college to be rededicated as Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at the University of Cincinnati.

Gifts advance the health of our region

The power of philanthropy and the dedication of donors advanced brain health, research and healthcare:

• The James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation made a visionary gift of $20 million to the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute. This investment supports a learning health system and the newly launched multidisciplinary Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research (CANDR).
• A passionate community of supporters made the new home for the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities a reality, expanding holistic, patient-centered care for individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Prior to his death in April 2026, Fred Lucas, MD, and his wife, Johna Lucas, MD, expanded their philanthropic impact at the College of Medicine, establishing the Fred V. Lucas, MD Endowed Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
• The UC Osher Wellness Suite and John & Carrie Hayden Community Learning Kitchen officially opened as part of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC. This one-of-a-kind space, dedicated to advancing whole-person care, was made possible by champions of the center, including a $2.1 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Alumni and friends provide meaningful support

Bearcats and friends continued to support UC and UC Health, participating in annual giving days and supporting the colleges and programs close to their hearts.

These efforts raised $23.1 million in gifts under $25,000 for causes that shape and strengthen the university community including scholarships, the UC Student Emergency Fund and the Bearcats Pantry and Resource Center.

Excellence in the classroom and in competition

Our passionate Bearcats supporters are part of the excitement of being in the Big 12, and philanthropy plays a vital role in recruiting and retaining top student-athletes. David F. Herche's $4 million investment in the Men's Basketball Excellence Fund reflects a belief in the Bearcats' pursuit of championship success.

Amplifying discovery

Corporations played a role in supporting student experiences with software donations, expanding students' access to the latest in technology and learning:

• Global energy technology company SLB donated geosciences software, providing students and faculty at the College of Arts and Sciences with access to the same digital platforms used by leading energy companies worldwide.
• Thanks to Siemens, College of Engineering and Applied Science students have access to its Siemens EDA software, giving them hands-on experience with complex tools.

Additional highlights from the last year:

Donors across the country and the globe are fostering student success, improving patient care and creating new opportunities.

• Donors contributed $40.4 million in scholarship gifts to advance student success; $20 million of which came from alumni. In total, supporters created 205 new scholarship funds.
• Donors established 119 estate gifts, totaling $57 million.
• 32,800 donors made over 45,000 gifts in fiscal year 2026; of those, 15,830 were alumni, whose giving surpassed 25,000 distinct gifts.
• It was a record-breaking fundraising year for four colleges: the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services; the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law. The UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute also had a recording-breaking year.

Leadership comments:

Neville G. Pinto, president, University of Cincinnati: "This record fundraising year is a moment worthy of celebration. I am deeply grateful to the Bearcat family for their belief in the University of Cincinnati and for the generosity that makes our extraordinary progress possible. Thanks to our donors, we are creating new scholarships, expanding opportunities across our colleges, investing in distinguished faculty and strengthening the research and programs that will define UC's future."

Cory D. Shaw, president & chief executive officer, UC Health: "Philanthropy regularly plays a crucial role in our academic healthcare system, but this year was special. Donors are transforming our work with gifts focused on integrative health, neurological care and expanded services for individuals with developmental disabilities."

Leigh Fox, MBA '01, chair, UC Foundation Board of Trustees: "I'm so thankful and proud of my fellow alumni for contributing to this remarkable milestone. Their donations, large and small, are supporting a bright future for the next generation of Bearcats."

Featured image at top: UC students. Photo/Chris Radcliffe for the UC Foundation.

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