Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
I hope you are enjoying a productive and exciting spring quarter on campus. On behalf of the Division of Advancement and External Relations, I would like to share some updates on philanthropic and alumni engagement efforts at DePaul.
Fundraising milestones
Mission: Forward, the most ambitious, comprehensive philanthropic campaign in DePaul’s history has gathered tremendous momentum following the launch of its public phase last fall.
I am thrilled to share that we have raised more than $500 million toward our $650 million goal! The achievement of this significant milestone reflects not only the generosity of alumni, trustees, faculty, staff and friends but also effective shared ownership and dialogue among partners across the university community.
Faculty and staff representation on the Faculty Campaign Advisory Committee and Staff Campaign Ambassador Council, for instance has provided invaluable strategic guidance for the campaign’s aspirational pillars and foundational cornerstones, which you can learn more about on the Mission: Forward campaign website and in this DePaul Magazine feature. Two of those cornerstones, Expanding Access & Scholarships and Cultivating Faculty & Research, and one pillar, Educate to Lead & Serve have received exceptionally generous support.
Additionally, our total fundraising for fiscal year 2026 currently exceeds $77 million, surpassing our $65 million goal with two months remaining.
As higher education faces unprecedented challenges, it’s inspiring to see our community come together to meet this moment with resilience and a renewed commitment to our Vincentian mission and purpose-driven education that addresses society’s greatest needs.
Multifaceted alumni engagement
Our division has also expanded its engagement with alumni in several ways to help build community, affinity and mutually beneficial connections with students.
DePaulConnect is an online community of alumni and current students that spans multiple career paths, industries and regions. It is a dynamic tool for building professional networks between industry and academia, imparting career support and advice and nurturing mentorship opportunities among Blue Demons who share similar career paths and interests.
We are also telling the stories of alumni who exemplify how DePaul's hands-on, mission-based approach to education produces graduates who go on to become citizen leaders across many industries and professions. You can meet them in Our Alumni, Their Stories, from a Blue Demon tech talent enhancing the Chicago Cubs fan experience to a champion for women in the renewable energy sector.
Connections on campus
Partnership is essential to the success of our philanthropic work on behalf of the DePaul community. Advancement’s close collaboration with academic units is one such example. Through the ongoing integration of our pod structure we continue to collaborate with our colleagues in all of DePaul’s colleges and schools, leveraging our collective efforts to maximize our mutual fundraising and engagement objectives.
As commencement approaches, we look forward to broadening that engagement with the newest members of DePaul’s vast and dedicated alumni family — now more than 220,500 strong — and providing them with opportunities to stay connected and amplify DePaul’s mission and impact.
Go Blue Demons!
Sincerely,
Katie Fraumann
Senior Vice President
Division of Advancement and External Relations