In fiscal year 2026 (July 2025–June 2026), the generosity of the Â鶹ֱ²¥ community set new records, advanced vital opportunities for student and faculty excellence, and reaffirmed the enduring strength of the Â鶹ֱ²¥ mission.
Through contributions from more than 6,600 alumni and friends of the University, FY26 saw the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Community raise more than $24 million in support of student achievement, experiential learning, trailblazing scholarship and research, and critical programs designed to amplify Â鶹ֱ²¥â€™s impact in communities here in New York and across the globe.
This represents a new core fundraising record for Â鶹ֱ²¥: the highest single-year total for community support in our history.
raised in fiscal year 2026
dedicated alumni and friends contributed to Â鶹ֱ²¥
raised through Â鶹ֱ²¥ fundraising events
Throughout the year, Â鶹ֱ²¥ built momentum through a string of critical successes that contributed to our historic philanthropic highs. In our two annual University-wide giving days, Giving Tuesday and the 1906 Giving Day Challenge, Â鶹ֱ²¥ raised more than $525,000 from 2,382 individual gifts in direct support of student success and special programs across our campuses. Through our series of community-focused fundraising events, including the signature Spirit of Â鶹ֱ²¥ Awards Gala, the University raised $2.1 million, representing a 23% increase over last year’s fundraising-event total and a 20% increase over our three-year rolling average. And through hundreds of gifts from dedicated alumni, parents, friends, partners, faculty, and staff, Â鶹ֱ²¥ raised an all-time high $4 million in unrestricted funds—the critical resources that allow the University to address urgent needs and invest strategically in institutional impact and advancement.
As Â鶹ֱ²¥ celebrates 120 years since its founding, these fundraising successes—powered by the enduring generosity of alumni and friends who believe deeply in the power of a Â鶹ֱ²¥ education—help position the University to continue maximizing its mission for decades to come. We are grateful for the vision and leadership of the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Community members who are helping us to build that exciting next chapter.
Elisabeth Haub School of Law is helping address a critical gap in environmental enforcement through its new Institute for Environmental Enforcement. As federal environmental enforcement faces significant challenges, the Institute is working with New York State agencies to strengthen enforcement efforts by training investigators, prosecutors, and the next generation of environmental lawyers.
The Elisabeth Haub School of Law proudly conferred the 2026 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy on Alfred Brownell and Durwood Zaelke for their groundbreaking contributions to the progressive development of environmental law and decades of leadership advancing environmental justice, climate action, and environmental governance around the world.
From founding Â鶹ֱ²¥'s ColorStack chapter to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine, Zender Aurelien-Nikolai ’28 is making his mark at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Through faculty-led student research and his own leadership initiative, he's turning his passion for technology into opportunities to make a difference.