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2O36: A year since the campaign launch

Editor’s note: The following is a message to the Emory community from President Gregory L. Fenves.

 

Dear friends, 

One year ago, we gathered on our historic Quad for the launch of 2O36 — a campaign focused on the investments we need to make today for Emory to become a university without peer by our bicentennial.

The launch was unforgettable for all who participated, and the enthusiasm has continued to grow during the past year. Inspired by our vision and ambitious goals, the Emory community is stepping up like never before. I’m moved by the optimism and generosity shown by so many of our loyal friends. 

I want to share a celebration video with you that captures the spirit and energy of Emory. Whether you have already made a gift or are considering contributing to 2O36, the video at the top of this page is for you.

I am also proud to share exciting news about the 2O36 campaign.

First, the numbers…

Since we started quietly in 2017, we have raised more than $3 billion toward a $4 billion goal!

Here are some highlights from critical areas that have been supported:

  • $875 million for research excellence
  • $485 million to support eminent Emory faculty members 
  • $440 million for battling cancer 
  • $420 million to help Emory students flourish
  • $380 million for brain health research 
  • $200 million to improve the patient experience at Emory Healthcare

Tens of thousands of Emory friends, alumni and community members have answered the call and more than 65% of donors have made gifts of $250 or less. The response has been incredible so far:

  • 89,000 people have invested in Emory’s 2O36 campaign.
  • 26,000 are Emory alumni, inspired to give back to the university they love. 
  • 11,500 are faculty and staff members who want to invest in the vision of 2O36. 
  • 36,000 are grateful patients who counted on Emory when it mattered most and now support our efforts to help others.

The heart of this campaign is the lives that are being shaped by your philanthropy. Let’s look at a few ways your gifts are supporting students, faculty and researchers at Emory…

 

Student Flourishing

Your investments in scholarship support have been the centerpiece of Emory’s Student Flourishing initiative — making a world-class education more accessible for talented students of all backgrounds. Among our recent scholarship students are a Fulbright scholar conducting ecological research in the Panama Canal, a writer whose first young-adult novel was published by HarperCollins and a cancer researcher beginning a second career in public health.

 

Faculty Eminence

Your gifts in support of faculty eminence have empowered Emory to attract remarkable professors who represent a vast range of perspectives, experiences, backgrounds and skillsets. The 2O36 campaign has increased the number of endowed professorships by more than 30%. That is a major improvement in the way Emory supports its faculty — putting endowed resources in place so that extraordinary professors can make game-changing discoveries and inspire students at the highest level. 

 

Research Excellence 

We are one of the finest research universities in the nation, and our faculty, researchers and students are making an impact across all schools at Emory. 2O36 is generating support for some of our university’s most innovative research initiatives, designed to take on the greatest challenges of the present and future. This includes giving hope to patients and their families by finding new ways to diagnose and treat cancer; striving to build understanding through scholarship on social and racial justice; bringing researchers together from a range of disciplines to envision a responsible future for artificial intelligence; and unlocking the complexities of brain health by seeking treatments and cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

As you can see, 2O36 is becoming a movement — uniting all members of the Emory community to elevate our great university and the healthcare system that serves patients across the state of Georgia. Thank you for taking this journey with us. 

Your contributions have made a tremendous difference and we’re just getting started. The campaign will last until August 2025, so let’s keep the excitement of the past year going.

Learn more about 2O36.

 

Sincerely, Gregory L. Fenves

President


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