BUTLER UNIVERSITY
Donor Impact Report
AS I REFLECT on the past fiscal year, I’m simply overwhelmed with gratitude. Thanks to your generosity, the 202425 fiscal year concluded with a truly extraordinary milestone: your giving, in combination with that of the broader Butler community, totaled more than $60.2 million, the largest single-year total in Butler’s history!
This record-breaking year is a powerful testament to your unwavering dedication to Butler and to your belief in the transformative power of higher education. As you will see in the pages ahead, the generosity of our donor community touches every part of the Butler experience. Your investment in our mission directly fuels the major initiatives that will shape the future of the University, ensuring a transformational experience for our students and a lasting impact in our community.
As we look ahead, we have ambitious plans to further elevate the impact Butler makes in the world, and continued philanthropic investment will be vital in bringing this bold vision to life.
Thank you for your partnership in our mission.
Jonathan Purvis, CFRE Vice President For University Advancement & Marketing
FUNDRAISING at a glance FY24–25
$60,212,181
2025 DAY OF GIVING FACTS & FIGURES
$682,000+
Largest single-year total in Butler’s history
TOTAL RAISED 13,406
TOTAL NUMBER OF DONORS
2,646 FIRST-TIME DONORS
557 FACULTY/STAFF DONORS
$2,538,996 TOTAL DOLLARS ADDED TO ENDOWMENT
Total raised: from more than 2,830 GIFTS
First-time donors accounted for of all donors 32%
399 Faculty/staff donors
218 Student donors
More than raised for the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship $150,000
Scholarships are Butler’s top funding priority because our students are our top priority.
“The generosity of scholarship donors has been essential in my academic journey, giving me the resources and confidence to pursue my goals. Because of this support, I’ve been able to study fascinating topics, travel abroad, and embrace unique experiences like joining a sorority, interning at a Fortune 500 company, and contributing to Butler’s efforts in civic engagement. Your support embodies The Butler Way and reminds me that once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog. I am proud and grateful to be part of this community, and I hope to pay your generosity forward in the future.”
DONOR-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED BENEFITING 925+ BUTLER STUDENTS
—Anna Foster ’25 Psychology and Political Science
$3,393,505
CONTRIBUTED TO BUTLER FUND FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
99% OF BUTLER STUDENTS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
$25,964
AVERAGE STUDENT GIFT AID PACKAGE FOR 2024-2025
15
NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS ESTABLISHED
Butler Gateway Project
This year’s fundraising total included a significant $22.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. in support of several transformational Butler Gateway Project initiatives. Read more here.
$22.5M GRANT FROM LILLY ENDOWMENT INC.
Midtown Arts District
A $9 million grant from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation will support a multi-phased renovation and expansion of Clowes Memorial Hall that will launch Butler’s long-term vision for the Midtown Arts District. Read more here.
$9M GRANT FROM ALLEN WHITEHILL CLOWES CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Founder’s College
In April, Butler celebrated a ribboncutting ceremony for the Marianne Glick and Mike Woods Founder’s College Commons, the dedicated space for Butler’s new two-year College opening in August 2025. Read more here.
$4.4M+
TOTAL CONTRIBUTED BY DONORS TO SUPPORT THE LAUNCH OF FOUNDER’S COLLEGE
“The Marianne Glick and Mike Woods Founder’s College Commons is more than just a space. It’s a promise. It’s a pledge. It’s a commitment to help Indiana’s students author their own ending regardless of how and from where they began.”
—Founder’s College Dean Carolyn Gentle-Genitty
Our faculty are the heart of our mission.
In January, Butler announced a $4.4 million gift from an anonymous donor in memory of two beloved former Butler faculty members, Bill Ney ’58 MS ’67, and Ed Shaughnessy ’58 MA ’63. The gift will establish an endowed professorship and an endowed scholarship. The William Ney Endowed Professorship is the first endowed faculty position to be established in the College of Communication (CCOM) since the creation of the College in 2010. Read more about the gift here
“We are incredibly humbled by this gift–the largest in CCOM history–and are thrilled that it recognizes Professor Bill Ney, a person who helped make not just the College of Communication possible, but who founded our Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences program. It is evidence of the incredible impact our faculty have had, and continue to have, on our students.”
—Joe Valenzano, Dean of the College of Communication
20 NAMED FACULTY POSITIONS AT BUTLER 11:1
FACULTY TO STUDENT RATIO
MENTORSHIP MATTERS
Donor support is vital to providing students with mentorship from excellent faculty within Butler’s distinctive, relationship-rich academic environment.
Bill Ney in the classroom.
Giving society donors are making an impact.
$6.1M IN NEW PLANNED GIFT COMMITMENTS THROUGH THE FAIRVIEW HERITAGE SOCIETY
“Philanthropy is a very personal journey and while making a planned gift to Butler may seem overwhelming, it’s simply an extension of what you’re already doing in supporting Butler today. It’s a great feeling knowing that a student 50 years from now could benefit from this gift!”
—Sharon Boyack Myers ’90 Read more about her gift here.
56
BUTLER GIVING CIRCLE SHAREHOLDERS
36
NEW HONOREES INDUCTED INTO THE CARILLON SOCIETY
Read more about the new inductees here.
In February, Butler announced a $12 million estate commitment from Trustee Rebecca Graham Paul.
The gift is the largest documented estate commitment in University history and the largest gift ever to Butler Athletics. The majority of the gift will be used to provide support for priority initiatives within Butler’s 12 Women’s Athletics programs, including the cheer and dance teams. Click here to learn more.
“Any time is a good time to make an investment in women.”
—Trustee Rebecca Graham Paul ’70, MS ’75
“Rebecca’s incredible generosity and leadership will benefit Butler student-athletes for decades to come. Her passion for developing women leaders through sport is inspiring, and we could not be more grateful for her support.”
Grant Leiendecker, Vice President and Director of Athletics
$6,957,037
CONTRIBUTED BY BUTLER WAY SOCIETY MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
72 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE BUTLER WAY SOCIETY, THE PHILANTHROPIC GIVING SOCIETY FOR BUTLER ATHLETICS
$4,134,392
CONTRIBUTED TO THE BULLDOG CLUB
13
CONSECUTIVE SEMESTERS BUTLER STUDENT-ATHLETES HAVE COMBINED FOR A 3.3 GPA OR HIGHER
