UNC Kenan-Flagler surpasses $400 million fundraising milestone

The University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School announced today that it surpassed its $400 million milestone ahead of schedule. More than 18,000 individuals have made gifts to the Business School since the start of the University-wide campaign, which launched publicly in 2017 and closes Dec. 31, 2022.

“Reaching this milestone is incredibly important for UNC Kenan-Flagler,” said Doug Shackelford (BSBA ’80), dean and Meade H. Willis Distinguished Professor of Taxation. “I am deeply gratified by our donors’ generous support and the enduring impact it will have on our students’ lives and the work of our faculty and staff.”

Campaign donors supported School’s strategic priorities, including:

• Investments in a new building and existing facilities
• Support for students and educational experiences through scholarships, fellowships and signature programs
• Centers of excellence that play important roles in education, research and industry outreach
• Funding to hire and retain faculty who are world-class educator and researchers

A big part of the campaign success can be credited to donors’ support of the new building project, which is needed to increase the number of students in Undergraduate Business Program and provide improved, expanded facilities for all students, faculty and staff.

In June 2020, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill that provided $75 million to expand and enhance the UNC Kenan-Flagler campus. To receive the public funds, UNC Kenan-Flagler successfully raised a matching $75 million in private funding.

“We remain incredibly grateful for this support from the state,” said Shackelford. “It is a vote of confidence in our University and our Business School which was especially welcome during darkest days of the pandemic. The support of the state and private donors is an investment that will pay dividends for generations to come.”

The need for funding isn’t ending, however. “Our mission is to develop leaders who make the world a better place, and donor support is critical to fulfilling that mission now and for decades to come,” said Shackelford.

With the campaign running until the end of 2022, UNC Kenan-Flagler will continue raising money for its top priorities and most pressing needs. These include:

• Additional resources to expand and maintain facilities, including naming opportunities
• Funds to recruit, retain and grow our faculty
• Discretionary dollars to meet the School’s greatest needs and respond to change and innovate

“Meeting these priorities will shape the future of UNC Kenan-Flagler and our success in the coming decades,” said Shackelford.