This Friday and Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8, UNI will have the official launch of Our Tomorrow, the biggest fundraising campaign that the University has ever undertaken. 

The Our Tomorrow fundraising campaign has a goal of raising $250 million by the year 2026. This money will be used to support the people, programs and spaces that make UNI unique. 

Over the last few months, the UNI Foundation YouTube page has been previewing what the university will be doing with this campaign. Over the course of six short videos all titled “Our Tomorrow,” UNI Foundation shows pictures and plans for iconic buildings on campus such as the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, which will be undergoing a major remodel on the existing lobby facade that faces University Avenue as well as an addition to the building by adding a marquee lounge. 

Another structure seeing changes is the Campanile. Besides the current upgrades occurring to the Campanile and its bells, the tower itself and the carillon, the instrument used to play the bells, will also undergo improvements. As there is no temperature regulation in the top of the Campanile, the wide temperature changes throughout the year with Iowa weather have been taking its toll on the rigging that supports the bells and connects to the carillon. Having a climate-controlled area at the top of the Campanile will help preserve everything for years to come. 

In another YouTube video titled “Our Tomorrow: The Campaign for UNI” alumni Dan Fick, Ph.D., who was a part of the class of 1985, walks into the UNI-Dome and shares his personal experience of how he fell in love with campus and his program, including a story of when he first hit the benchmark of running two miles under nine minutes at UNI. He then goes on to talk about the importance of investing in the university and UNI-Dome. 

There is more to this campaign than fixing and renovating buildings on campus. More details will be made clear at the launch, where they will talk about the main pillars of the campaign. 

The campaign is investing not only in current and future Panthers, but for past Panthers as well, as expressed in one of UNI Foundation’s most recent YouTube videos.

  “Our Tomorrow focuses not just on ‘tomorrow,’ but ‘our.’ ‘Our’ means the students here, the students who will be coming, the graduates and alums… Even though I graduated a long time ago, this is still my tomorrow. What is UNI going to be… UNI can make an impact unforeseen for students, for the community… it’s the vision of UNI that makes it stand out,” said Sandy Phillips Stevens, ’72 alum.

The launch of Our Tomorrow will be this Friday, Oct. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. between the Commons and the Campanile. There will be lots to do, including archery tag, axe throwing, badminton, bags, face painting, giant volleyball and ROTC’s joust house. In addition, speakers including University President Mark Nook and homecoming VIPs Kurt and Brenda Warner will present.

The kickoff is just the start of connecting with alumni and community members for fundraising. Regional events will continue to be held around the state of Iowa and beyond, including Our Tomorrow celebrations in Chicago on Oct. 11, the Twin Cities on Dec. 7 and Washington D.C. on Feb. 8.

For more information on the Our Tomorrow campaign, donation instructions and a full schedule of events, visit ourtomorrow.uni.edu.