Membership in UD’s Front Porch Society is for those who have made a gift of any amount to UD for the last three consecutive fiscal years.
The university announced the campaign in 2023 but had been fundraising behind the scenes for seven years. When the campaign was announced, the university had already fundraised $325 million.
In all, “We Soar” helped establish 300 scholarships, said university officials, as well as nearly 40 new funds intended to support UD’s Flyer Promise program; plus hands-on learning experiences, study-abroad opportunities and professional mentoring and development opportunities.
“The tremendous success of the ‘We Soar’ campaign — exceeding all three goals by significant margins despite a pandemic and other global challenges — proved Flyer Nation can achieve great things when we work together," said Deb Tobias, chair of UD’s board of trustees. “It shows our alumni and friends truly and deeply believe in the value of UD.”
The announcement comes as UD is facing budget uncertainty. University administrators cited recent student visa suspensions and reductions in research funding as reasons for the change.
In March, UD made job cuts that impacted 65 employees in total, with 45 faculty not renewed for the 2025-2026 school year and 20 staff positions eliminated. UD president Eric Spina said the cuts were worth about $25 million over three years.
“The vast majority of the money raised during ‘We Soar’ is designated for specific purposes by donors and restricted by binding agreements,” said a university spokesman. “This means it’s invested directly in key areas like student scholarships, faculty support and high-demand programs, rather than being available for our general operating budget. Think of it like this: donations are earmarked for specific projects, not for day-to-day expenses.
The spokesman added, “Our work the past few years navigating intense pressures facing higher education — a demographic cliff, higher borrowing costs, FAFSA issues, fewer international students studying in the U.S, and more recently volatility at the federal level — is independent of campaign funds. Our promise to everyone who cares deeply about UD is that we will continue dealing with these challenges to secure our long-term financial future, and advance the University and its students.”
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