Baylor Bear Foundation Exceeds Budgeted Goals for 2018-19
WACO, Texas – For the second consecutive year, the Baylor Bear Foundation reported more than $19 million in annual giving to Baylor Athletics.
Baylor Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mack B. Rhoades, IV announced Thursday that the athletic department’s fundraising arm exceeded budgeted goals, reporting $19.2 million in total giving at the close of the 2018-19 fiscal year. Cash gifts directly from Bear Foundation members resulted in the organization’s second-highest giving total in its 70-plus-year history, topping the two previous years. Additionally, Rhoades announced an increase in football season ticket sales over last year, with nearly 2,500 new season tickets sold for the upcoming season.
“We are extremely humbled by the ongoing generosity of the Baylor Family and their unified commitment to advancing the strategic priorities of Baylor Athletics," Rhoades said. "This milestone year illuminates the remarkable dedication and loyalty of our thousands of athletics donors and Bear Foundation members. It is because of them that we are able to provide an elite level experience for each of our 500+ student-athletes."
Baylor Athletics’ fiscal year runs from June 1 through May 31. The year-end total includes Baylor Bear Foundation contributions ($12.15 million), credits ($2.2 million) and gift-in-kind totals ($450,000), along with donations to athletic excellence funds ($1.2 million) and athletic endowment interest distributions ($3.2 million).
It excludes ticket revenue and capital gifts, such as the recent announcement of a $100 million gift to the Give Light Campaign, with a significant portion earmarked for a new state-of-the-art basketball pavilion.
The successful fundraising year is attributed to increased annual giving from current Bear Foundation donors, along with new members generated due to increasing interest in season tickets.
Through the Bear Foundation, excellence funds and other means of giving, generous donors provide essential funding that helps offset the significant cost of athletic scholarships and other expenses associated with operating an NCAA Division I athletics department. The current cost of a full athletic scholarship is approximately $65,293 per year for each student-athlete.
“The success we celebrate as a resource development team is a direct reflection of the strong Baylor Community,” said Cody Gougler, Associate Athletic Director for Resource Development. “Bear Foundation memberships are forever impacting the lives of our young people, and we are sincerely grateful for the investment our donors continue to make in our vision of Preparing Champions for Life.”