UMass Boston

UMass Boston today announced the public launch of Rooted & Rising: The Campaign for UMass Boston, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen the university’s commitment to access and excellence and invest in its students, faculty, research, and future. With a $250 million goal, Rooted & Rising is the most ambitious fundraising effort in the university’s history.

The university has already secured more than $182 million in early campaign commitments, a powerful show of support for UMass Boston and its growing impact as a leading public research university.

Rooted & Rising: The Campaign for UMass Boston builds on significant momentum at UMass Boston, including its recent designation as a top-tier R1 research university, several years of record-breaking philanthropic and alumni engagement, continued growth in research and innovation, and initiatives that expand access and opportunity for students. Among those efforts is the Beacon Pledge, now in its second year, which guarantees free tuition and mandatory fees to in-state students from families with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less. Powered in part by donor-funded scholarship support, the pledge is currently enabling more than 3,400 students to go to UMass Boston for free.

“As Boston’s only public research university, UMass Boston is uniquely positioned to connect philanthropic vision with educational opportunity and innovation that address challenges facing Boston, the Commonwealth, and communities around the world,” said UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “This campaign is an engine for building partnerships with our alumni and friends that will propel our beloved, necessary university to an even greater future.”

The Rooted & Rising campaign is grounded in the university’s strategic plan, For the Times, and invites donors to invest in priority areas where their support can have profound impact: enhancing Student Access and Success, accelerating Research and Innovation, and preparing a Future-Ready Workforce.

“The story of UMass Boston has always been about possibility. By investing in UMass Boston, our supporters are strengthening this institution so it can provide even greater opportunities to future generations of students,” said UMass President Marty Meehan. “This campaign is more than an investment in the university. It is an investment in talent, ideas, and the aspirations of the residents of Boston, the Commonwealth and beyond.”

Investments through the campaign will expand scholarships and student support, strengthen faculty and student research, enhance facilities and infrastructure, and help connect education to career opportunities.

“Our strategic plan outlines how we believe this university can make the greatest difference for our students and our world,” said UMass Boston Provost Joseph Berger. “It identifies the steps we must take to reach our highest potential for leadership and service. Through this campaign, donors can play a direct role in accelerating that work, helping us deliver greater opportunity for students, generate knowledge that addresses society’s most pressing challenges, and deepen our impact in the communities we serve.”

Campaign Impact

Gifts made during the “quiet phase” of fundraising preceding the public launch of the campaign have already provided significant support to UMass Boston and its students, faculty, and staff. Of the $181 million raised to date toward the campaign goal, $32.2 million is designated to student scholarships. Campaign donors have created or grown 33 faculty and research support funds and contributed to an $86.3 million increase in UMass Boston’s permanent endowment since July 2022.

“Traditionally, fundraising campaigns spend several years building momentum before making a public announcement. What has been so heartening is the extraordinary support we’ve already seen. Over the last four years, almost 11,000 alumni have made a philanthropic gift to UMass Boston. That level of participation speaks to the power of our institution and to the dedication of our community,” said Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Adam Wise. “The public launch is not the beginning of this campaign. It’s an invitation for even more people to join a movement that is already transforming lives and creating opportunities for future generations.”

Gifts to the Rooted & Rising campaign include some of the largest philanthropic investments in UMass Boston’s history:

• A $15 million gift from Donna and Robert Manning endowed UMass Boston’s Manning College of Nursing & Health Sciences and is helping the college advance nursing education and support the development of a more inclusive nursing workforce.
• A $10 million grant from the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation is supporting climate resilience research, advocacy, education, and outreach through the Stone Living Lab, which the foundation established in partnership with the university in 2019.
• A $10 million contribution from New Balance, the athletic footwear and apparel corporation, enabled UMass Boston to establish and endow the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport to develop equity-minded practices and leaders in the sports industry.
• A $5 million investment from technology entrepreneur Paul English ’87, G’89, H’19 supported the launch and endowment of the university’s Paul English Applied AI Institute, which aims to democratize the AI-enabled workforce by making UMass Boston a leader in ethical and accessible artificial intelligence education.

“Donna and I have long believed in the vital importance of public higher education and in the role UMass Boston plays across the Commonwealth and far beyond. That belief compelled us to support the university in a significant way, and we remain incredibly proud of what is happening here,” said former UMass trustee Robert Manning. He and his wife, Donna, a retired Boston oncology nurse, are UMass Lowell graduates and have made transformational investments across the UMass system. “The Rooted & Rising campaign comes at a pivotal moment for UMass Boston, and we’re excited to see this opportunity for more people to join together in support of the university’s remarkable students, faculty, research, and public mission.”

Together, these investments demonstrate how philanthropy is helping UMass Boston respond to emerging needs, strengthen areas of academic and research excellence, and create new opportunities.

The campaign’s impact will extend well beyond campus. Seventy percent of UMass Boston alumni live in Massachusetts, contributing to the state’s workforce and communities. Partnerships with employers, nonprofits, government agencies, and community organizations further connect the university’s teaching, research, and public service to the region’s needs.