UHV receives more than $2.8 million in donations during FY 2021
The University of Houston-Victoria raised $2,896,065 during the 2020-2021 fiscal year in donations, the second largest amount in the university’s history as donations to the university continue to increase.
The university received 1,568 gifts in 2020-2021, with gifts ranging from $1 to $2 million. The largest gift in university history also was made during that time: $2 million from the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation to help fund the construction of a UHV health and wellness center.
“We are deeply grateful for the continued support from our donors and community supporters,” UHV President Bob Glenn said. “UHV is fortunate that the people in our area value higher education and support UHV’s goals. We would not be on this path to success without our supporters.”
Average giving to the university during the past three years has been about $2.5 million, up from a $1.1 million annual average five years ago, said Jesse Pisors, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. During the 2021 fiscal year, the university received gifts from 1,088 donors, including 440 alumni. In addition, 17 foundations gave to the university, the second highest ever in this donor category.
Donors also supported 97 different scholarships, programs, funds and other initiatives at the university. The areas that received the greatest number of contributions were the UHV Alumni Association; the UHV general scholarship fund; and JP’s Market, the student food pantry.
The average amount a donor gave was $50. Even a donation of $50 or less has an impact and helps UHV serve students more effectively, Pisors said.
“Every gift makes a difference,” he said. “UHV would not be able to serve our region the way we do without six- and seven-figure gifts, but we also rely on our many alumni and friends who faithfully contribute smaller gifts. Each gift has a positive impact on our students. I could not be more honored to work with the colleagues I have at UHV and to have the generous support of our many donors from across the region and beyond. Their generosity and belief in the work of UHV is profoundly encouraging and inspiring.”
One project during the fiscal year that was almost entirely donor-funded was Kay’s Grove, a 29,000-square-foot memorial landscape garden in honor of Kay Kerr Walker, who served on the UH System Board of Regents and was a longtime supporter of the UH System and UHV. Almost 320 donors contributed or pledged more than $400,000 to design and construct the memorial landscape on the UHV campus. Kay’s Grove will be located west of University North and will extend toward the retention pond between University North and University Center. The garden is expected to be completed in the spring.
“We were especially honored to be involved in the initiative to build Kay’s Grove,” Pisors said. “One of the unique and heartwarming aspects of this project is that no fundraising was ever done. The project was briefly mentioned, and in response, hundreds of friends and community members gave to construct this beautiful space on campus.”
FY 2021 also saw the second-largest number of UHV faculty and staff donors on record, with 225 UHV employees contributing $68,500 to 71 different departments, programs and initiatives at the university.
For Linda Bagwell, a senior payroll assistant in Human Resources, giving back to the university is an important aspect of supporting students. Bagwell has been employed at UHV for 20 years and is a part of the President’s Circle, made up of UHV employees who donate at least 1 percent of their gross annual pay to the university.
When donating to the university, Bagwell likes to contribute funds to UHV Athletics to support UHV’s student-athletes. She likes to support UHV Athletics both financially and in person by attending athletic events.
“I want to be sure that our student-athletes are able to enjoy their time here at UHV, and I try to help achieve that by donating to the UHV Athletics fund,” Bagwell said. “I think when UHV employees give back to the university, it shows the community that we are invested in the success of our students.”
To learn more about how to donate to UHV, contact UHV University Advancement at 361-570-4812, or email Pisors at pisorsj@uhv.edu.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
