Banner year of donor support lifts Brandon University Foundation over $100 million mark

The Brandon University Foundation has reached a historic milestone, surpassing $100 million in total assets for the first time in its history. This follows a banner year of donor support in 2025, with new high-water marks for donations to the Annual Fund appeal and disbursements back to Brandon University for academic, institutional, and student support.

The milestone was celebrated at the Brandon University Foundation Annual Luncheon on Wednesday, where donors, alumni, students, volunteers, and community leaders gathered to recognize the impact of philanthropy at Brandon University.

In 2025, the BU Foundation raised more than $4.36 million overall, including a record-setting $465,000 through the Annual Fund Appeal. Combined with strong investment performance, this brought the amount of total funds under the stewardship of the BU Foundation to more than $108 million, which cracked the nine-figure $100 million mark for the first time ever. The BU Foundation also disbursed more than $3.6 million to Brandon University — another all-time high — with more than $2.2 million directed specifically toward scholarships and bursaries.

“These numbers are extraordinary, but what matters most is what they make possible,” said Chris Hunt, President of the Brandon University Foundation. “For decades, alumni, donors, and friends of Brandon University have invested in students and in the future of our community. Reaching $100 million in assets is not about building wealth for its own sake — it’s about building opportunity, supporting research, strengthening programs, and helping students succeed.”  

The BU Foundation’s support reaches every corner of campus, funding research initiatives, academic programming, equipment, library resources, and student supports. However, most of the investment income goes straight to students — last year, nearly 62 per cent of annual disbursements were directed to scholarships and bursaries.  

“This milestone reflects generations of generosity and belief in Brandon University,” said Carla Eisler, Director of Advancement and Alumni Affairs at BU. “Every gift, whether it’s a contribution to the Annual Fund, a scholarship, or a legacy gift left through a donor’s estate, has a real and lasting impact on students’ lives. Behind every number is a story of someone being given the opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue their goals.”

Those stories were front and centre at Wednesday’s luncheon, where students Janine Campbell and Antoni Klonowski shared how donor-funded scholarships helped shape their educational journeys.

Campbell, an international student from Jamaica graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, said donor support eased the financial pressures of studying abroad and allowed her to fully engage in university life.

“Receiving scholarships and bursaries meant far more to me than just financial assistance,” Campbell said. “It reminded me that I was not carrying this journey alone. Your support truly changes lives, and I am incredibly grateful to be one of the students impacted by it.”  

Klonowski, a biomedical science student pursuing a future career in medicine, said scholarships provided the flexibility to pursue research opportunities and personal growth beyond the classroom.  

“Scholarships provide more than just financial support,” Klonowski said. “Scholarships create breathing room. They allow students to spend more time learning, researching, taking risks, growing, and chasing opportunities that otherwise might not be possible.”  

Foundation and University leaders also pointed to several major priorities currently underway at Brandon University, including fundraising for the expansion of the Indigenous Peoples’ Centre, upgrades to the Gulliver Astronomical Observatory, and long-term plans for the renewal of the Brodie Science Complex.

“A huge thank you to all of you,” said BU President Dr. Christine Bovis-Cnossen. “You are the ones who keep us going as a university, you are the ones who believe in Brandon University, and more than us, you believe in our students. Your support of our students, our community, our researchers is instrumental to our success.”

Bovis-Cnossen extended special thanks to the Waves of Hope team who were in attendance, and who had just launched a $150,000 fundraising campaign for the BU Breast Cancer Cell & Molecular Research Laboratory, led by Dr. Mousumi Majumder.

“The important work being done at this lab gives a chance for hands-on research experience to first-, second-, third-, and fourth-year students that even PhD candidates at larger universities might only be able to dream of,” she said.

The Brandon University Foundation was established in 1980 to encourage and manage philanthropic support for Brandon University. Since its inception, the Foundation has disbursed nearly $79 million to Brandon University in support of students, research, academic excellence, and campus initiatives.  

For more about the BU Foundation, including the 2025 Annual Report or to help drive us towards another record milestone in 2026 through a contribution of your own, visit BrandonU.ca/Give.

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