BUTLER UNIVERSITY
DONOR IMPACT REPORT 2 0 2 5 -2 0 2 6
I am pleased to share with you this report of the collective impact of your philanthropic giving to Butler University over the past year. September 2025 marked the public unveiling of our Boldly Butler strategic direction and $325 million comprehensive campaign. As a 2025-26 donor, you are among the visionary leaders who responded to this bold vision with a financial gift, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership. Together, we are setting the standard for a transformative education with local impact and global reach. In the pages that follow, you will see a small glimpse of the incredible, widespread progress your gifts are making possible on our campus, including: new academic programs designed to meet community needs; hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in and out of the classroom; dedicated faculty transforming students’ lives through mentorship; world-class arts and athletics experiences; a deeply connected campus and community; and much more. Thank you for joining in what we’re building at Butler. I am profoundly grateful for your investment in our shared mission.
Jonathan D. Purvis, CFRE Vice President For University Advancement & Marketing
F Y 25-26 (JUNE 1, 2025-MAY 31, 2026)
BUTLER FUNDRAISING at a glance
$31,039,138 TOTAL RAISED
12,802 TOTAL NUMBER OF DONORS
2,477 FIRST-TIME DONORS
$7,670,140 TOTAL DOLLARS CONTRIBUTED TO ENDOWMENT
$9,461,161 IN NEW PLANNED GIFT COMMITMENTS
401 UNIQUE FUNDS RECEIVED SUPPORT
$763,765 CONTRIBUTED ON DAY OF GIVING 2026
BOLDLY BUTLER
On September 26, 2025, the University announced Boldly Butler, its new strategic direction and ambitious $325 million comprehensive fundraising campaign. Boldly Butler is our commitment to setting the standard for delivering a transformative education with local impact and global reach.
Driving this bold vision are three core commitments that will guide our three-year strategic planning and propel us through the end of the decade and beyond.
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES We commit to delivering highly relevant, engaging, and personalized transformational learning experiences that prepare all learners to achieve professional success and lead lives of meaning.
DYNAMIC CAMPUS & COMMUNITY We commit to building a dynamic campus and community that enriches our students’ experience and enhances our neighbors’ lives by propelling the economic and cultural vitality of Central Indiana.
THRIVING BUTLER We commit to creating a thriving Butler, recognized as a premier national university with global reach, centered on a culture of growth, and built to endure.
$159M
COMMITTED BY DONORS SO FAR TOWARD THE $325M GOAL
BOLDLY FORWARD With your help, Founder’s College at Butler University’s first cohort of 67 students started classes on August 27, 2025, marking a new chapter in the University’s long history of access, innovation, and service to Indiana families. Read more about this major University milestone here.
Butler welcomed its inaugural class of Nursing students last fall. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) will be joined by a Master’s degree program in 2027 as Butler continues expanding its health professions curriculum to meet community and workforce needs.
What makes Butler’s approach especially meaningful is its focus on developing nurses who bring not only strong clinical preparation, but also leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, and a deep commitment to patient advocacy. Those qualities are essential in healthcare today, and they are exactly the kinds of strengths we value in the next generation of nurses entering the workforce.” TRACY MARTIN MSN, RN, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF PATIENT CARE SERVICES AT ESKENAZI HEALTH
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING DONOR GIFTS ARE EXPANDING ACCESS TO TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
Butler’s commitment to relevant, hands-on education was further realized through the launch of the Butler Institute for Sports and Entertainment (BISE). This spring, 16 Butler University Pharmacy students participated in the first-ever Boston Pharmacy Trek, a donor-funded experiential learning trip. Read more about the impact of this outside-theclassroom learning opportunity here.
BISE Year One by the numbers
As a first-generation college student, I entered pharmacy school with limited exposure to the many career paths within the profession and without an established professional network. This experience allowed me to begin building those connections. The Boston Trek represents more than experiential learning; it reflects the removal of barriers and the creation of opportunities for students like me, which ultimately translates into better care for the patients we will serve.” KEVIN BEALL ʼ29
276 STUDENTS INVOLVED
3,745 EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING HOURS COMPLETED
34 INDUSTRY PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE
SCHOLARSHIPS DONOR S CONTRI BUTED MORE THAN
$7.7M TO STUDEN T SCHOLA RSHIPS IN FY26
20
NEW SCHOLA RSHIPS ESTABL ISHED
I am incredibly thankful for your generosity in providing a scholarship that has granted me the opportunity to attend college. I’m a first-generation student from a small town in Ohio, and I’ve reached new heights I never knew I could at Butler. It truly has changed my life. Sincerely, thank you.” LOGAN GOETTEMOELLER ʼ26 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
DEDICATED FACULTY In 2026, Butler announced the Duane and Linnéa Leatherman ʼ75 Endowed Professorship, the first documented endowed faculty position in the history of the Jordan College of the Arts. The $2 million estate commitment was made by longtime faculty member Duane Leatherman and his wife, Linnéa, who together have served as Faculty-In-Residence at Butler for decades. Read more about the gift here.
Photos above from Corey Alvarez ’95 and Eddie Manuszak ’95, taken with Professor Leatherman during their Butler days in the early ’90s.
Faculty who care deeply about our students are essential to fulfilling our mission. Duane and Linnéa Leatherman have embodied this care through their longtime service as Facultyin-Residence, and this generous gift ensures their legacy of mentorship will endure. This commitment is a vital investment in our Boldly Butler strategic vision, empowering us to attract, develop, and retain the nation’s leading scholars to teach and inspire the next generation of Bulldogs.” JAMES DANKO BUTLER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
341 FACULTY/STAFF DONORS COLLECTIVELY COMMITTED
$3.28M
TO SUPPORT BUTLER UNIVERSITY’S MISSION IN FY26
ATHLETICS
3.578
COMBINED STUDENTATHLETE GPA IN SPRING 2026
DONORS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN
$10.4M TO ATHLETICS FUNDS
116
DONOR HOUSEHOLDS IN THE BUTLER WAY SOCIETY
$357,000 RAISED BY 141 HOUSEHOLDS TO SUPPORT THE SABRINA DONOVAN ENDOWED FUND FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL
Read more about the grassroots effort here.
ARTS
The Butler Arts and Events Center announced the creation of its Arts Performance Fund. Read more about the innovative initiative here.
By turning every ticket into an investment, we are extending the power of each performance to support and sustain the arts throughout Indianapolis.” JAMES DANKO BUTLER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Former dean Ronald Caltabiano committed $1.1M to support innovative and experiential arts initiatives in JCA. Read more about his gift here.
DONORS GAVE MORE THAN
$3.86M
TO THE JORDAN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS IN FY26
LOCAL IMPACT Rendering
In April, Butler celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Safety and Transit Hub, advancing its vision for a more connected campus and community. Learn more about the new facility here.
ADVANCING LIFELONG LEARNING
90
PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN SPARK WEEK, DESIGNED FOR ADULT LEARNERS
GROWING CAMPS AND EXPANDING ACCESS
73%
INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CAMPERS ATTENDING BUTLER CAMPS
$148,495
PROVIDED IN TUITION ASSISTANCE TO CAMPERS IN SUMMER 2025
GLOBAL REACH CALLING ALL BULLDOGS: INTRODUCING BUTLER AMBASSADORS Butler announced the launch of its new global ambassador network in February. Learn more and become an Ambassador here.
BUTLER OVERSEAS In another major move expanding Butler’s global reach, the University announced its innovative three-year Butler Overseas program that will welcome its inaugural cohort in fall 2027. Learn more about the program here.
The impact of your gifts in 2025-26 far exceeds the limitations of these pages. To learn even more about what your support is making possible at Butler, visit stories.butler.edu. Don’t miss a moment of the impact you make! See your gifts in action all year long by following Butler University.