Largest campaign in Drake’s history exceeds goals, creates generational impact
The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave & Bold raises more than $265 million
Drake University announced today that its ambitious three-year fundraising goal of $225 million was exceeded by more than $40 million for The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave and Bold. With the support of more than 13,800 donors, the University raised $265,014,761 for seven transformative priorities that will have a lasting impact on the institution, its students, and the community—Iowa and well beyond—for generations to come.
“This is an exciting moment in Drake’s history. The unprecedented success of The Ones campaign puts Drake on a bold path forward that will benefit students and the many communities we serve for generations to come,” said Marty Martin, Drake University president. “When Bulldogs unite with a shared passion and purpose, we accomplish incredible things. I am grateful for our generous donors who believe in our commitment to transform lives and strengthen communities through education, service, and research.”
Key achievements
$54 million committed to 330 newly created or expanded scholarships
Seventy-three $100,000 endowed scholarships created, supporting four campaign priorities
$95.8 million raised to support Drake’s seven colleges and schools
$41.8 million raised to support Drake athletics
$67 million in capital projects funded, including the revitalization of Morehouse Hall into the Johansen Student Center, the restoration of Meredith Hall, renovations at the Knapp Center, the opening of Mediacom Stadium, the opening of the Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club, and the opening of the Tom and Ruth Harkin Center.
“This campaign has demonstrated that when we come together as one, there are no limits to what we can achieve,” said John Smith, vice president of university advancement at Drake University. “We couldn’t have exceeded expectations without our dedicated team, including co-chairs Suzie Glazer Burt and Mark Ernst, as well as nearly 500 volunteers throughout the course of the campaign.”
Seven Priorities. One Vision.
Early planning for The Ones began in November 2018 with the launch of the Big Ideas campaign, which generated ideas from all corners of campus that would propel Drake into its next great era. These ideas ultimately shaped the seven key priorities of The Ones, which formally launched in October 2021.
Every Bulldog a Changemaker is founded on the belief that higher education is a springboard for empowering generations of students to make a positive difference in the world—to use their passion and potential to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Through The Ones, Drake is prioritizing entrepreneurial programs and community engagement experiences. To date, this initiative has raised more than $7 million and created 18 Changemaker scholarships. As part of this initiative, the Drake Business Clinic has served 475 local entrepreneurs; 62% are female business owners and 72% are minority-owned businesses.
The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy is founded on the idea that democracy is a collective, lived experience requiring an active, informed public thoughtful discussion, and civility. This initiative helped create an institute that will serve as a hub to foster democratic discourse, dialogue, and action. A $5 million gift made by Ron and Jane Olson in October 2023 has already supported 20 public democracy scholars to date and is helping to mold educated and informed citizens. A $1 million gift from Patty and Jim Cownie funded the institute’s Practitioner in Residence. As part of this initiative, and in collaboration with The Robert D. and Billy Ray Center, Drake University also founded the Pettengill Civic Leadership Academy and the National Civility Summit.
Digital Proficiency Platform is a response to digitalization transforming society at a rate not experienced since the industrial revolution. Under this priority, Drake is supporting the next generation to navigate this journey by infusing liberal arts with analytics and technology. Twenty-one digital proficiency scholarships have been created to date with 25% of current Drake students majoring or minoring in data analytics. Alumni employers include the likes of NASA, Nike, Discover, and the NFL.
Johansen Student Center is founded on the idea that every campus deserves a focal point where students come together to create, learn, reflect, and play. Morehouse Residence Hall will be transformed into the Johansen Student Center and will serve as a collaborative, community-focused space for more than 150 student-led organizations. The renovation is scheduled to be complete in January 2025, debt-free, thanks to the support of donors. These gifts include a $28 million gift commitment from Greg and Cie Johansen—which, once fully realized, will be the largest single-donor gift commitment in Drake’s history—that will support a range of initiatives in addition to the student center. A $3.15 million leadership gift from Sammons Financial also helped make this project possible, establishing the Sammons Plaza, the Sammons Intercultural Center, and 14 endowed scholarships.
The Jay N. Darling Institute—named to honor the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for his cultural contributions—is dedicated to bolstering the economic, social, and cultural vibrancy of rural America. To date, the effort has raised $4.6 million for strategic initiatives and created 14 DarlingCorps scholarships. A $5 million commitment led to the creation of The Paul and Claudia Schickler Executive Directorship and the Schickler Endowed Sustainability Fellows.
University for All was built on the belief that the time is ripe for a more robust model of higher education that fully embraces opportunity as a fundamental right. Drake is empowering individuals of all ages and backgrounds to enhance their lives through education. This priority focuses on five key initiatives:
John Dee Bright College – Announced in September 2020, and opened for enrollment in fall 2021, Bright College offers two-year associate degrees and an accessible pathway into a Drake education with 81% of new students having their full tuition covered at Bright College. This vision for Bright College has proven successful with a 57% increase in year-over-year enrollment in 2024 and 84% of spring 2024 Bright College graduates going on to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Drake.
Crew Scholars – Founded in 2013 and significantly expanded in 2022 through support of The Ones, Crew Scholars is an academic excellence and leadership development program for incoming students of diverse backgrounds. There are 149 currently enrolled students who have received the Crew Scholar Award with 65 new scholars served each year. The program aims to bolster student retention, the success of which is demonstrated by an 88% student retention rate—significantly higher than the national average.
Robert D. and Billie Ray Center – The Ray Center is dedicated to transforming lives and strengthening communities through research-driven programming that provides character education and leadership development resources to improve civility and produce measurable results in schools, organizations, and community. The Ray Center serves as the global hub for Character Counts!, serving 8 million youth worldwide. Additionally, the Ray Center serves more than 1,000 legislators across North America, and more than 90,000 actively engaged educators through the recently established partnership with Kindness 101 and CBS News.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Drake is dedicated to serving lifelong learners, offering programming and educational opportunities on Drake’s campus and beyond to those 50 years of age and older. To date, OLLI at Drake University has served more than 10,000 individuals, hosting more than 180 events annually. In the last year alone, OLLI served 850 active members and garnered 7,000 class registrations. More than $1.2 million contributed through The Ones campaign is helping make this work possible.
The Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club – Opened in 2019 thanks in large part to a $5 million commitment from Gregory and Suzie Glazer Burt, the 21,000 square foot facility serves more than 200 youth each year and is only the second Boys & Girls Club in the nation located on a private college or university campus.
Pursuit of Excellence supports Drake’s commitment to fueling its academic and athletics programs to foster an education and experience that inspires students for a lifetime. To date, $54 million has been committed to 330 new or expanded scholarships, $95.8 million has been raised for Drake’s seven colleges and schools, $41.8 million for Drake athletics, $9 million to The Drake Fund, and $67 million has been raised to fund a multitude of capital projects. In February 2023, a leadership gift from Larry and Kathleen Zimpleman named the Zimpleman College of Business, enhancing hands-on learning experiences and equipping students with a deep understanding of environmental, social, and governance-related topics.