To help meet the needs of students whose lives were disrupted by the pandemic, but who were dedicated to earning their degrees, DePaul embarked on "Now We Must: The Campaign for DePaul's Students" in fall 2020. This ambitious, 18-month fundraising effort, chaired by Trustee Sasha Gerritson (MUS '99), sought to raise funds to support students' most urgent needs crucial to their continued success: scholarships and financial aid, emergency assistance, technology and access, career-readiness, and mental health and wellness.
“As a Vincentian community, we are called to rise up and be there for those in need, especially when those in need are DePaul students," Gerritson says.
Now We Must, which officially closed on Dec. 31, raised nearly $125 million thanks to the extraordinary generosity of 32,287 gifts from the DePaul community to support the university's mission and students.
“The response from donors who supported this campaign was overwhelming and came at a pivotal moment in this global crisis," says DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban. “Their collective action helped ensure that our students were able to meet their most basic human needs and provided them with the resources to remain on course with their education."
As a result of the campaign:
- More than $55 million was raised for scholarships that helped students stay in school.
- Hundreds of students in need received stipends for internet access, laptops and other equipment to continue their education virtually.
- A record-breaking $700,000 was raised for DePaul's Student Emergency Assistance Fund, which supports urgent needs such as meals, rent and medical expenses.
- Awards that helped eligible students prepare for their careers provided such necessities as professional attire, stipends for unpaid internships and professional conference registrations.
- The university was able to provide mental health services and referrals for students, hold a health fair to raise awareness of student mental health needs, and offer mental health first-aid training for DePaul faculty.
Daniel J. Allen, senior vice president for advancement and external relations, commends the entire DePaul community for its generosity and dedication to DePaul's mission.
“The moment in which we found ourselves as a university demanded a response on behalf of our students," Allen says. “Thanks to everyone's efforts, our students have what they need to continue to excel and realize their dreams."