Seven years ago, we announced a bold plan to raise an historic $2 billion for the University of Toronto. We chose such an ambitious goal to help fulfil our academic aspirations, but also as a symbol of our determination to strengthen our place among the world’s very best universities.
That the Boundless campaign soared past this goal, raising a total of $2.641 billion, is a striking indication of the success of this institution and the immense support it has gained from its alumni and friends.
We couldn’t have done any of this without you.
More than 100,000 of you supported Boundless. To me, this is the most remarkable number of the campaign. It points to the incredibly broad support we have inspired, and to a culture of giving within our community that bodes well for our future.
As you shared with us your ideas for the campaign, you challenged us to work collaboratively – to reach across disciplines within the university, and to transcend boundaries between the university and other institutions.
You encouraged us to think big.
It was exactly this kind of thinking that led to a record-breaking $130-million gift from the Rogers family jointly to U of T, SickKids and the University Health Network to create the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research. Through this pioneering initiative, scientists and clinicians from these three institutions are working together to improve the lives of people with heart disease.
There are numerous other examples of gifts that have brought together researchers from different areas of the university to solve an important challenge. These donations have helped us see problems in new ways; they’ve helped us innovate.
We’re grateful, too, for your support of scholarships. The University of Toronto prides itself on research excellence in a large number of fields, but what sets us apart from our international peers is how well we combine research excellence with accessibility for students of all economic backgrounds. In order for us to sustain this dual identity, support for scholarships is absolutely critical.
Through your giving, you’ve also helped us physically transform our three campuses. If you haven’t visited U of T Mississauga or U of T Scarborough in the past five years, go! See for yourself the spectacular new spaces for teaching, learning, research and innovation. On the St. George campus, you’ve helped us renew historic structures, such as the Daniels Building and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and construct impressive new ones, such as the Jackman Law Building and the Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship. These are just a few examples of how your giving has enabled this university to do great things in pursuit of its academic mission – and to contribute to the city around us.
As alumni, you’ve also given generously of your time and talents. In record numbers, you’ve mentored students, spoken at events, hosted dinners for students, served on governance and advisory bodies, and helped us recruit brilliant students from around the world.
For all of these reasons, and many more that you’ll read about in the following pages, we’re grateful.
Thank you for sharing in our aspirations, and for making the Boundless campaign such a tremendous success.