LSU Surpasses $1.5 Billion Fierce for the Future Campaign Goal Three Years Early

Historic campaign was largest for higher education in Louisiana’s history, first to unite LSU’s campuses 

BATON ROUGE – Thanks to LSU donors’ generosity, the university’s $1.5 billion Fierce for the Future Campaign reached $1,594,464,658 as of June 30, 2022, surpassing the campaign goal three years earlier than anticipated. LSU will immediately move forward with preparing for its next campaign, focused on advancing the university’s Scholarship First Agenda developed under LSU President William F. Tate IV’s leadership.

The Fierce for the Future Campaign, which publicly launched three years ago, united donors in support of every LSU campus: the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the LSU AgCenter, LSU of Alexandria, LSU Eunice, LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and LSU Shreveport. At that time, it was the largest fundraising campaign for higher education in the history of Louisiana and the first to include LSU’s campuses statewide. More than $1 billion (i.e., 68 percent) of campaign gifts were in support of academics and 32 percent were in support of athletics.

Tate said, “The success of LSU’s $1.5 billion Fierce for the Future Campaign – and particularly the achievement of surpassing the campaign goal three years early – exemplifies our donors’ tenacity for joining with LSU to elevate Louisiana and drive global impact. Just as was envisioned, this campaign has positioned LSU to set its course for the future. Now, we are aggressively pursuing that course through LSU’s Scholarship First Agenda.”  

The Fierce for the Future Campaign recognized that Louisiana’s most urgent and compelling concerns cannot be solved without the human capital LSU provides, and that addressing those concerns necessitates transformative philanthropic partnerships and the collective impact of donors at all levels investing in LSU. Each of LSU’s campuses identified Fierce for the Future Campaign fundraising priorities that are generating solutions for the people in Louisiana and making profoundly positive impacts around the world. Connecting these priorities is LSU’s deep commitment to positive transformation of opportunity, resources and well-being for all – from providing an accessible, affordable, outstanding education to leading life-changing research and outreach that blazes trails and pushes boundaries. 

LSU met or exceeded its Fierce for the Future Campaign goals and projections, as detailed below and identified by each campus at the outset of the campaign. Throughout the LSU System, donors partnered with the university to invest in their areas of passion and to align with individual and corporate impact goals. The leading campaign commitment was a historic $245 million investment from Our Lady of the Lake ($170 million) and LCMC Health ($75 million) to transform healthcare in Louisiana. 

 

Flagship Campus

Approximately $1.3 billion of campaign gifts were in support of the Flagship Campus in Baton Rouge and the LSU AgCenter. 

Signature academic campaign projects included $115.6 million contributed toward scholarships, led by contributions of $15.6 million from the Brookshire family, including the university’s largest ever immediate impact donation for scholarships; the aforementioned transformative healthcare partnership with Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health, which included leadership support for the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building (i.e., a $15 million investment by Our Lady of the Lake and a $10 million investment by LCMC Health), a $10 million research fund established by Our Lady of the Lake with an emphasis on health equity, and a $5 million research fund established by LCMC Health for cancer-focused research; the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, made possible by Shell USA, Inc.; alumna Diane Goyette and Henry Goyette’s commitment to the LSU Early Childhood Education Institute; alumni Mary Neal, MD, and Ron Neal’s $5 million gift in support of the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building; and a gift to establish the Ochsner Wellness Center.

Overall, donors gave $796.5 million in support of academics on the Baton Rouge campus, contributing $421.3 million through the LSU Foundation (including $15.6 million in support of the LSU AgCenter) and $375.2 million directly to the university (including $12.8 million in support of the LSU AgCenter). Direct-to-LSU support was largely via companies’ in-kind gifts of proprietary software – affording LSU students, faculty and staff access to best-in-class technology to enhance curricula and advance research – and Our Lady of the Lake’s investment to develop an end-to-end healthcare experience within the LSU Student Health Center and provide in-kind care to uninsured and underinsured LSU students.

Signature athletic campaign projects included a historic sports medicine partnership with Our Lady of the Lake; renovations to the LSU Football Operations Building; the opening of the Marucci Performance Center at Alex Box Stadium; enhancements and maintenance for Mike the Tiger’s habitat; and the Skip Bertman statue at Legacy Plaza. Overall, donors gave $502.4 million in support of athletics on the Baton Rouge campus. Campaign contributions totaled $358.1 million through the Tiger Athletic Foundation, including $188.6 million for premium- and priority seating-related contributions required for season ticketing, and $144.2 million through LSU Athletics’ Tradition Fund for priority seating-related contributions required for season ticketing. 

Overall, donors gave $19.8 million through the LSU Alumni Association in support of alumni engagement initiatives.

Health and Biomedical Campuses and Initiatives

Commitments to advance health-related initiatives at LSU included – as part of the $245 million combined investments by Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health – $50 million from LCMC Health to pursue the vision for ascending the LSU Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center to an NCI-Designated Cancer Center; $20 million from Our Lady of the Lake to expand and strengthen programs within the LSU School of Medicine New Orleans’ Baton Rouge branch campus; and $10 million from LCMC Health to create a scholarships- and programming-focused support framework for pre-nursing students on the Baton Rouge campus and nursing students on the LSU Health New Orleans campus.

Throughout the campaign, donors contributed $171.1 million in support of LSU’s health and biomedical campuses, i.e., LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport and LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 

Signature LSU Health New Orleans campaign projects included a donation of 29 acres of land on the Northshore of New Orleans to create an economic growth-driven retirement community and to dedicate and restrict more than $20 million in cancer research funding from the related land lease revenue. Overall, donors gave $77.8 million through the LSU Health Foundation New Orleans.

Signature LSU Health Shreveport campaign projects included the Center for Medical Education, a $74 million public-private partnership made possible by the State of Louisiana and more than 400 donors, including lead gifts from Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Ochsner Health; the largest private gift to the LSU Health Shreveport Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (from Dewey and Gigi Corley through their Chaparral Foundation; Margaret Place Properties, Inc.; Frances and William Comegys III; and the family of Aaron and Peggy Selber); the campus’s first general scholarship fund for medical students, which received gifts from over 240 donors in its inaugural year; and seven new endowed scholarships. Overall, donors gave $76.9 million in support of LSU Health Shreveport, contributing $68.2 million through the LSU Health Sciences Foundation and $8.7 million directly to LSU Health Shreveport.

Signature Pennington Biomedical Research Center campaign projects included a new Cancer Metabolism Program created with the help of local philanthropist Art Favre and making Pennington Biomedical one of the leading authorities in the world for cancer metabolism research; the launch of the worldwide Obecity, USA, the Current State of America awareness campaign, supported by donors including Annette Barton, Paula and Jacques de la Bretonne, Charles and Carole Lamar, Art Favre, the Irene and C. B. Pennington Foundation, the Lamar Advertising Company and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation; and a new, nation-leading Bariatric and Metabolic Institute supported by Gary and Claudia Phillips and Charlie and Carole Lamar and leveraging investments from Pennington Biomedical, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, LSU Health New Orleans, the Office of the Governor and Louisiana Economic Development. Overall, donors gave $16.4 million through the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.

 

LSU of Alexandria

Donors gave $14.3 million through the LSUA Foundation in support of LSU of Alexandria. Signature LSU of Alexandria campaign projects included the Student Success Center, supported through a $3.5 million multi-campus leadership gift by the company RoyOMartin and LSU alumni Roy O. Martin III and Kathy Kilpatrick Martin that included support for the top capital priorities on the Baton Rouge, LSU Health Shreveport and LSU of Alexandria campuses; Cleco’s support of LSUA’s Accountants for the Future Initiative; and LSUA alumnus Darrel Ryland’s gift to create an endowed scholarship for local students. Also supporting the Student Success Center with a leadership gift was Charlie Weems, an emeritus member of the LSUA Foundation Board of Directors.

 

 

LSU Shreveport

Donors gave $13.7 million through the LSUS Foundation in support of LSU Shreveport. Signature LSU Shreveport campaign projects included the LSUS Cyber Collaboratory, a state-of-the-art, immersive learning space supported by multiple donors; a memorial dedicated to the late Joe Callaway at Callaway Gardens; the Spring Street Historical Museum; and several new endowed scholarships.

 

LSU Eunice

Donors gave $4.8 million through the LSUE Foundation in support of LSU Eunice. Signature LSU Eunice campaign projects included Ochsner Lafayette General’s gift to expand LSUE’s allied health programs by increasing capacity for its nursing and surgical technology programs; the Leonard G. Fontenot Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship focused on workforce development in engineering; the Fritz Lang Scholarship, creating a $90,000 endowment for Associate of Agriculture majors; and an anonymous gift of $25,000 in new microscopes for biology classes. 

 

The Fierce for the Future Campaign was LSU’s third advancement campaign. The LSU Campaign launched April 18, 1997. In February 1999, the campaign reached its $150 million goal – more than two years ahead of the targeted date of June 30, 2001. Ultimately, donors gave $255 million to the LSU Campaign, exceeding the original campaign goal by 70 percent. In 2006, LSU publicly launched the Forever LSU Campaign, inclusive of the Tiger Athletic Foundation and LSU Alumni Association. In a historic show of generosity, more than 50,000 LSU alumni, friends and corporations united to surpass the Forever LSU campaign’s $750 million goal, contributing $764 million by Dec. 31, 2010; an additional $34 million in state-matching funds brought the final total to $798 million.