With a total of 26,706 donors contributing 61,668 gifts, the University of Mississippi received $168.36 million in donations in the 2024 fiscal year, setting the record for the highest fundraising year in the school’s history.

This is a $13.26 million increase from the 2023 fiscal year, in which UM received $155.1 million in donations. Donations fund a wide range of expenditures across campus — including scholarships, individual school improvements and investments into medical research. 

“We always get funding for scholarships,” Vice Chancellor for Development Charlotte Parks said. “One thing that people really like to do is help students be able to afford to come (to school here).”

The donations also contributed to the Ole Miss Now & Ever campaign, an initiative launched on Nov. 12, 2021 which is intended to fund new department buildings, scholarships and further development of Ole Miss Athletics. 

One of the proposed projects funded by the initiative is a new facility for the Patterson School of Accountancy at the corner of University Avenue and Grove Loop. Ranked No. 8 nationally in 2021, the Patterson School of Accountancy hopes to accrue more than $125 million through donations to start construction.

John Brown, a junior accounting major, was impressed with the amount of money his school raised.

“One hundred and twenty-five million dollars is extremely difficult to raise,” Brown said. “We’re making steps in the right direction that can get us more funding quicker, which is super exciting for the future of the accounting school.”

Barbara Beckmann, the first female graduate of the School of Engineering, donated $5 Million to the Department of Chemical Engineering this year.

“(I’m) giving back to Ole Miss for preparing me for a great career and a great life,” Beckmann said. “I hope (these) resource(s) will help Ole Miss Chemical Engineering continue to produce the same quality for future generations.”

Andrew Atchley, a sophomore biomedical engineering major, said large donations give the engineering department more opportunities to develop.

“Ole Miss is not known publicly for our engineering course,” Atchley said. “Mississippi State tends to be thought of as the engineering school and Ole Miss as the accounting and business school, so I think it’s awesome to have more support.” 

Christine Hellums, assistant to the dean of the School of Engineering, echoed Atchley’s sentiments.

“It really can’t be done without the donors — whether they are single donors or whether they are industry partners who give us funding,” Hellums said. “We can’t do it with just what we are provided through student fees or funding from the state, and we need extra to be able to do bigger things for the students and provide them with more experiential learning opportunities.”

Other departments also received generous support from donors. Nancye Starnes donated $4.5 million to support plans for a new recording studio, rehearsal studio and scene shop in the arts facilities. 

Starnes said that art is still an important part of our society.

“Can you imagine a life without theater, without music, without dance?” Starnes said in a university press release. “Where’s the rhythm of life if you don’t have all of that? You may not need the arts to survive, but you do need the arts to thrive.”

The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) also received millions of dollars to invest in medical research that improves the health, well-being and economic growth of Mississippians. 

The donations include a $5 million gift from Dr. Suthin and Dr. Somprasong Songcharoen, a $2.25 million gift from Melissa Shepherd and Dr. Genevieve Ali and a $1.8 million estate gift from the late Brickell Williamson.

“We greatly appreciate every donor who shares our vision for improving the health of Mississippians by investing in the work of our students, faculty and staff,” LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at UMMC, said in a university press release. “With private support to UMMC exceeding $30 million three years in a row, we are poised to continue our mission-based work in partnership with individual, corporate and foundation donors.”