Greater, We Ascend enters its public phase backed by more than $100 million in early contributions, unveiled during Homecoming & Family Weekend.
TACOMA, WASH. — The University of Puget Sound has officially launched its comprehensive fundraising campaign, Greater, We Ascend, marking a significant milestone in its nearly 140-year history. The announcement was made during a dynamic evening event during Homecoming & Family Weekend, with a goal of raising $150 million.
The campaign enters its public phase, with more than $102 million raised so far. This achievement builds on a successful fundraising year in 2025–26, during which nearly 3,600 donors contributed $22.1 million to support the university's mission.
“The launch of Greater, We Ascend represents a profound collective investment in the enduring value of a Puget Sound education,” said Board of Trustees Chair Beth Picardo ’83, J.D.’86. “Our alumni, parents, and friends understand that providing transformative liberal arts experiences, expanding access, and supporting our exceptional faculty are vital to shaping the leaders our world needs. We are immensely grateful for the extraordinary generosity that has brought us to this milestone.”
The announcement came during We Ascend Together: The Public Launch of Greater, We Ascend, an immersive evening at the university's Tennis Pavilion attended by alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends. The event featured stories, performances, and experiences celebrating the people and generosity moving Puget Sound forward.
“At Puget Sound, we are devoted to unlocking the fullest potential of each member of our community,” Kathleen Duncan ’82, campaign co-chair, said. “This campaign honors that commitment, creating the conditions for future generations of Loggers to shape a changing world through curiosity, courage, and action.”
“Having watched our university evolve across decades through my family’s involvement since the 1950s, I’ve seen firsthand how rooted our community is and how staunchly we support one another,” said Erin Shagren ’88, P’17, campaign co-chair. “Greater, We Ascend honors the incredible legacy of past generations while creating a bridge to a vibrant, limitless future for every Logger yet to come.”
The public launch coincides with President Isiaah Crawford's final year at Puget Sound. His decade of leadership has been marked by significant accomplishments, including curricular innovation and the launch of a number of new academic programs and departments, expanding experiential learning initiatives, establishing the Office of General Counsel and Risk Management, the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, the Faculty Development Center, the Susie Wilson Welcome Center, and the implementation of a new core curriculum. As the university prepares to welcome its 15th president next year, the campaign ensures that the momentum built over the past decade will endure for generations to come.
“Since our founding in 1888, the University of Puget Sound has brought together generations of talented, curious, and determined individuals committed to exploring new perspectives, pursuing knowledge, and making a meaningful difference in the world,” said President Crawford. “Our history is rich, but it is the strength, spirit, and aspirations of our community that define us. Greater, We Ascend! reflects our collective commitment to unlocking the fullest potential of every Logger, expanding opportunities, and building on our proud legacy to transform lives and serve the greater good for generations to come.”
Greater, We Ascend builds directly upon the framework of the Leadership for a Changing World strategic plan, focusing philanthropic investment across three core pillars — all of which have already inspired early gifts both through outright contributions and documented estate plans:
- The Logger Experiential Commitment: Elevating hands-on learning by integrating internships, research, study abroad, Pacific Rim studies, scientific inquiry, and athletic development. Early support is anchored by a historic $10 million commitment from the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation, creating a new fund to support the health, wellness, and personal and professional development of Logger scholar-athletes while also adding to the existing Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation Endowed Fund for Athletics, alongside a $100,000 outright gift and a $5 million planned gift commitment from Michael Amend ’86 to establish the Amend Family Endowed Fund to support experiential learning and internships at local community nonprofit organizations.
- The Educational Access Commitment: More than $33 million has been raised to support scholarships and financial aid for both undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as special initiatives including the Sound Scholars program to benefit Tacoma School District students, and a decade-long partnership with the Posse Foundation to support student leadership and success.
- The Lifelong Learner Commitment: Fostering enduring networks through structured alumni mentorship, historical and community initiatives, a dedicated Faculty Development Center, and robust student life programming. This commitment to faculty excellence and teaching is underscored by transformational early investments, including an $8.5 million gift from the Trimble family and The Trimble Foundation to establish two endowed chairs in Asian Studies along with program support nested within Asian Studies, as well as a $1.5 million gift from Thomas A. Davis establishing the Patricia Davis Endowed Professorship in Teaching Mathematics to honor excellence in mathematics pedagogy within the School of Education. Additional support includes a $2 million gift from graduate Ellen Ferguson ’72 to establish an endowment for the Puget Sound Memory Project, supporting theme programming, grants and fellowships for research and creative work, and a permanent campus history exhibit.
Underpinning these pillars is the Puget Sound Fund, which to date has raised more than $10.7 million, providing flexible, unrestricted resources to address emerging campus needs.
“The story of Greater, We Ascend is ultimately a story about people — the alumni, parents, students, faculty, and friends who believe in the transformative power of a Puget Sound education,” Victor Martin, vice president for University Relations, said. “As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we also invite our entire community to join us. Whether through a gift, a mentorship opportunity, or simply sharing our story, every Logger has a role to play in ascending to greater heights together.”
To learn more, visit pugetsound.edu/greater.
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