About Defy Gravity: The Campaign for the University of Toronto
Source: https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/about/ Parent: https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/
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The largest university campaign in Canadian history is harnessing the power of our worldwide community, including more than 700,000 alumni, 99,000 students, and 26,000 faculty and staff, for the betterment of humanity.
From pioneering work in the humanities to the breakthrough development of neural networks, the University of Toronto has a long history of tackling the impossible and transforming society through the ingenuity of its faculty, students and alumni.
In a world searching for positive change, we are building on this tradition to address some of the biggest challenges facing our city, country and planet as we grapple with this age of climate change, inequality and mass technological disruption.
Through our commitment to inclusive excellence, we are bringing together top minds from every conceivable background and discipline to enable healthy lives, build inclusive cities and societies, create a sustainable future, spark creativity and culture, drive scientific discovery, power bold innovation and entrepreneurship, and support student success as we educate the next generation of creative, engaged and empathic citizens.
The campaign theme, Defy Gravity, reflects U of T’s history of advancing the frontiers of knowledge by transcending disciplines and borders in a diverse and inclusive community that emboldens students to think big—a community that accomplishes things no one else believed possible.
The campaign is already making a significant impact, thanks to the incredible support of engaged alumni and generous donors. Alumni have stepped up in record numbers to mentor students, build professional networks and expand U of T’s global partnerships, driving the university’s mission forward. Many alumni and friends have also helped fund cutting-edge research, life-changing scholarships and state-of-the-art facilities, empowering our best minds to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has played a part so far. The unwavering commitment of our alumni and supporters is setting new records and breaking new ground. As we continue to build momentum, we are excited to work together to Defy Gravity and reach even greater heights in the years ahead.
Our campaign has two ambitious goals to meet today’s challenges
For the first time in U of T history, the campaign includes a goal for alumni engagement: to inspire 225,000 alumni to get involved as volunteers, mentors, donors, participants and leaders and encourage them to contribute their time and talent to the university one million times collectively.
The campaign is also seeking to raise $4 billion for the university’s highest priorities, a goal commensurate with our excellence, the breadth of our aspirations, the global footprint of our faculty, students, alumni and donors, and our potential for life-changing impact.
Join us, and together we’ll Defy Gravity.
From revolutionary ideas to life-saving discoveries to game-changing innovations, our community has made an indelible mark on the world. As we prepare to embark on our third century, it is incredibly exciting to imagine what else we can achieve, together, for the good of the city around us, our country, and the planet we share with all humanity.
Meric Gertler,\ President, University of Toronto
Learn more about the campaign
Download our case for support
Read our donation FAQs
Meet our campaign leadership