Momentum for
Temple's Future
Fiscal Year 2026 Year in Review
Welcome to our annual Year in Review report!
This year has been one of remarkable momentum for Temple and Institutional Advancement. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our alumni, friends and partners, we reached new milestones in philanthropic support while advancing the priorities that will shape the university’s future. From record-setting fundraising and transformational gifts to the launch of Temple’s new strategic plan, every achievement reflects the power of our community coming together to create opportunity and drive lasting impact. We are grateful for all who made this progress possible and are pleased to share some of the moments that defined the past year.
A Message from Al Checcio, Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement
To our Temple community,
This past year marked a defining moment for Temple University. Together, alumni, donors, volunteers and friends helped make fiscal year 2026 the most successful fundraising year in our university's history, with $214 million in philanthropic support.
This achievement reflects more than a record-breaking year. It signals growing confidence in Temple's future and demonstrates the remarkable momentum our university has built under President John Fry's leadership. In just two years, Temple's fundraising has reached unprecedented levels, culminating in this historic milestone.
Your generosity is expanding access to education through scholarships, advancing groundbreaking research, strengthening our campuses and communities, and creating opportunities that will benefit generations of Owls. Historic gifts established new academic programs, enhanced student support and positioned Temple to lead in areas that matter most to our region and the world.
This momentum comes at an exciting time for our university. Guided by President Fry's Forward with Purpose strategic plan, Temple is making bold investments in student success, research in action and place-based impact. Philanthropy is helping turn that vision into reality by opening the Essential Needs Hub, creating the Jane Creamer Sullivan and Thomas J. Sullivan Honors College, expanding medical education through our partnership with AtlantiCare, and supporting countless other initiatives that will shape Temple's future.
This record-breaking year was made possible because advancement is increasingly becoming a university-wide priority. I am deeply grateful to President Fry, our university leadership, academic deans and health care leaders for embracing philanthropy as a shared responsibility and becoming active partners in strengthening Temple's future. Their leadership, combined with the generosity of thousands of alumni, donors, volunteers and friends, is helping build a culture of philanthropy that will benefit Temple for generations to come.
As we look ahead, we are preparing for the next chapter in Temple's philanthropic journey. The momentum we have built together is laying the foundation for a comprehensive university-wide campaign that will accelerate our aspirations, expand our impact and ensure an even brighter future for the next generation of Owls.
Thank you for believing in Temple and for helping move our university forward with purpose.
With gratitude,
Al Checcio
Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement
A Record Year, By the Numbers
$214M
Temple University donors contributed $214 million in total commitments for the fiscal year, a record sum, in support of the university’s mission.
8,637
Temple University welcomed 8,637 first-time donors, reflecting a growing community of supporters investing in the university’s future and expanding its impact.
$35M
Temple University donors contributed nearly $35 million in direct student support, helping fund scholarships, fellowships and other student awards.
39
Temple University welcomed a record 38 donors who made gifts of $1 million or more, the highest number of million-dollar donors in a single fiscal year in the university's history.
A New Strategic Plan
Forward with Purpose: Temple University’s Strategic Plan will serve as the university’s compass moving forward, helping to ensure that Temple takes its place as one of the most consequential urban research universities in the nation by 2034.
Forward with Purpose has been organized around three priorities: Student Success, Research in Action and Place-Based Impact. Additionally, a set of three foundational principles—Innovation for Excellence, Partnerships, and Operational and Financial Strength—will span the university’s work across the priorities and form the foundation needed to achieve our objectives. Together, these six elements form a shared framework for the university’s future.
Student Success
Through scholarships, student support and career-focused opportunities, Temple philanthropy helps students thrive in the classroom, prepare for their futures and achieve their goals.
Investing in Students
Giving with Purpose
$35.6M
Through gifts, initiatives and fundraising events like the Acres of Diamonds Gala, the Temple University Health System raised $35.6M in support of lifesaving care, groundbreaking research and medical education.
$3.9M
Through the generosity of Temple Athletics supporters, $3.9M was raised to provide student-athletes with the resources they need to excel in competition, in the classroom and beyond.
$1M+
In total, over 3,500 donors contributed over $1M during Temple’s two signature fundraising events of the fiscal year—Giving TUesday and Temple Giving Days. Save the Date for this year's Giving TUesday: December 1, 2026.
Stories of Impact
Research in Action
Through investments in academic excellence, research centers and Temple’s professional schools, the university is advancing discovery, innovation and solutions that make an impact locally and globally.
Temple Receives Largest-Ever Gift from Christopher M. Barnett, CLA ’10
In recognition of the historic $55 million gift, Temple’s College of Public Health will now be known as the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health.
A Historic $5M Gift will Establish the Oller Center for the Rule of Law
The gift from Richard Oller, KLN ’76, LAW ’79, and Amy Oller, EDU ’76, is the second largest gift in the history of the Beasley School of Law. The center will serve as the Philadelphia home for a new national commitment to the rule of law and the principles of American democracy.
Temple and AtlantiCare Formalize Agreement to Establish New Medical School Campus
The AtlantiCare Campus will welcome its first students in August 2029, and will serve as one of four principal locations for Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
Beam Topping Ceremony Celebrates Midway Construction Point of Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication
The ceremony brought together the Temple community to celebrate the completion of the structural framework of the Caroline Kimmel Pavilion for Arts and Communication. The pavilion will become the new home of Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication and the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in fall 2027.
Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts Receives $3M Gift
Investment advisor and author Joslyn G. Ewart, EDU ’80, commits $3 million for first academic deanship for a non-professional school at Temple.
Place-Based Impact
Rooted in Philadelphia, Temple continues to strengthen its community through campus events, volunteerism and alumni engagement that create meaningful connections across the region.
Throughout the year, events like Temple Made Days, Temple Made Fest, Homecoming & Family Weekend, 30 Under 30 and Gallery of Success brought the Temple community together to celebrate alumni achievements, spark meaningful conversations and strengthen lifelong connections. From highlighting Owl-owned businesses to recognizing outstanding alumni, these experiences showcased the pride, passion and impact of the Temple community.
Owls Gather Across the Country
Over the past year, President John Fry has participated in nearly a dozen alumni community events around the country. Each visit has been an opportunity to strengthen relationships, celebrate the #TempleMade spirit and reinforce the lifelong connections that unite Temple's global community.
Alumni in Action
6,849
Number of attendees to events held by the Temple University Alumni Association.
2,972
Number of alumni volunteers who served as advocates for the university, supporting and championing our mission and strategic priorities.
1,555
Number of alumni who participated in the PCI Oral History Project, sharing their Temple story.
550
Number of books donated by students, alumni and friends for school-age children through the TUBAA Book Drive, Project GIVE.
542
Number of alumni who utilized central Career Coaching appointments through Temple's Alumni Career Services.
100+
Number of businesses who participated in this year's Temple Made Fest as a part of Temple Made Days.
Thank You for Moving Temple Forward
This year, our alumni, donors and friends helped make history. Together, you fueled a record-breaking year of philanthropy, expanded opportunities for students and strengthened the foundation for Temple’s future. Every milestone celebrated throughout this report reflects the power of a community committed to moving Temple forward.
The momentum doesn’t stop here. As Temple advances the bold priorities of its strategic plan, philanthropic support will continue to open doors for students, fuel innovation and create lasting impact. Every gift, no matter the size, helps shape what’s next for our university.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary year. We invite you to continue building Temple’s future by supporting the areas that matter most to you.
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