Campaign Goal of $500 Million Is In Sight

From its founding, LMU has been about people and place. In the early 1900s, the university was founded by the Society of Jesus, who saw that the Southern California region was in need of a Jesuit, Catholic institution of higher education. Decades later, that commitment was taken up and shared by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

“At its heart, this campaign is about people, the places where we come together, and our shared vision for a university that forms persons for and with others, immersing our students in transformative educational experiences both in and beyond the classroom,” said Thomas Poon, Ph.D., LMU president. “Scholarships are at the center of this commitment: opening doors of opportunity, allowing students of promise to focus on learning, growth, and service rather than the burden of affordability.” 

Student support in the form of scholarships makes up perhaps the most powerful driver of student success. LMU recognizes the need to expand student access to high-quality higher education and to make it more affordable, and the successful conclusion of the campaign will help develop tomorrow’s leaders who are prepared to make a difference in the world.

Crucial to a high-quality education are the teachers and mentors who will guide students. The Campaign for LMU will enable the university to recruit, retain, and support the exceptional faculty. Every investment in teaching excellence, research, and mentorship is an investment in students as well.

To maximize the education students receive, the Campaign for LMU has been committed to building a learning environment where students can thrive. The campaign already has led to the construction of the Drollinger Stage and Fitzpatrick Building. Strub Theatre and Gersten Pavilion have been dramatically renovated. With the help of supporters, LMU will continue to improve the collaborative, interdisciplinary learning environment that is crucial to student success.

The Campaign for LMU, the largest and most successful in LMU history, is on track to conclude successfully at the end of FY27. At this stage, $465.2 million has been raised toward the goal of $500 million. More than 34,000 individuals have joined the effort, with more than half of them being first-time givers. With strong leadership commitments in place and support from the LMU community, the Campaign for LMU will ensure that the university will continue to provide an exceptional Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount education that will prepare students to lead in our rapidly changing world.

Campaign Targets
$500Million Goal
The Campaign for LMU is the largest and most successful fundraising effort in LMU history.

$465.2M Raised to Date 
LMU’s most recent campaign, which ended in 2011, raised just over $411 million.

$48.3M Raised in FY2025-26

34,628 Individual Donors have contributed to the campaign to date. More than half had never made a gift to LMU before.

FUNDING PRIORITIES

Student Support

Essential to a high quality LMU education is support that will expand students’ access to LMU and improve affordability and increase career development learning opportunities including internships, study abroad options and extracurricular learning experiences.

Infrastructure

During the course of the campaign so far, LMU has built new structures and improved others all for the purpose of enhancing collaboration, innovation, and experiential learning for students. Among recent capital improvements are the Drollinger Stage, Fitzpatrick Building, and Strub Theatre and Gersten Pavilion renovations.

Faculty Support

Among the foundations of LMU’s personal education is the teacher-scholar model of faculty participation. LMU faculty are committed to both innovative research and teaching and mentoring students. Support is needed to ensure that LMU can continue to recruit, retain, and support the university’s exceptional faculty and thereby invest in them and students.

To support The Campaign for LMU, contact Kathy Ash M.A ’10 at [email protected].