UC Irvine has surpassed a $2 billion fundraising goal for its Brilliant Future campaign, officials are announcing Monday, Jan. 27. 

School officials say this is believed to be the largest philanthropic initiative in the history of Orange County.

UCI quietly started this major fundraising effort in 2015 before inviting alumni and the community to give starting in 2019.

By 2021, the university had raised $1 billion.

Fiscal year 2024, meanwhile, was the university’s most successful fundraising year on record.

Already in 2025, the university has secured one of its largest-ever gifts — an endowment for a new center on music and social change from Laguna Beach philanthropist Alec Glasser.

“This campaign is about more than reaching a financial target,” said Brian Hervey, vice chancellor for university advancement and alumni relations and president of the UC Irvine Foundation. “It’s about creating opportunities, solving global challenges and leaving an indelible mark on society. With our philanthropic partners, we’re committed to making a positive difference in the world.”

The largest gift during the campaign came from Susan and Henry Samueli, owners of the Anaheim Ducks who are long-time donors to UCI and prolific philanthropists in Orange County. Their $200 million gift in 2017 established the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, the nation’s first university-based health sciences enterprise to integrate holistic approaches in research, teaching and patient care. 

School officials said in a press release Monday that the campaign, which hit its $2 billion goal eight months ahead of schedule, has “demonstrated the power of collective generosity.”

More than 113,000 people, including more than 75,000 alumni, donated to the effort. More than 70% of the gifts were under $100.

Overall, the Brilliant Future campaign has created more than 250 new scholarships, fellowships and student award funds, university officials said. It has funded five state-of-the-art buildings — with more on the way, and it has raised more than $1.4 billion for research in medicine, engineering and the humanities.

“Despite its remarkable success, the Brilliant Future campaign is far from over,” the school said in its statement Monday. 

Officials say the school will continue to raise money to amplify its influence across four pillars: advancing the American Dream, transforming healthcare and wellness, accelerating world-changing research and exploring the human experience.