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ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University Tops $1 Billion in Fundraising

May 11, 2026

ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University Tops $1 Billion in Fundraising
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A campaign for impact, ON&ON has raised more than $1 billion to transform lives, fuel academic excellence, elevate campus and community and build champions.

On Saturday, May 9, ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University announced a historic milestone: more than $1 billion in fundraising.

The achievement reflects the generosity of more than 89,000 donors, including 37,771 first-time donors whose support advances Texas Tech University’s educational and research missions.

To date, two colleges have received transformational gifts and have been named during the ON&ON Campaign: the Gordon W. Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and the Tommie J. Huckabee College of Architecture. Additionally, several programs, schools and departments have received significant donor support, including:

“Texas Tech’s momentum is reflected in student success and record enrollment, continued growth in research and our rising national profile,” said President Lawrence Schovanec. “These achievements reflect the strength of our university community and the extraordinary support of those who believe in our mission. Through the ON&ON Campaign, our donors are helping us create greater opportunities for students, strengthen academic excellence and accelerate progress toward our long-term aspirations. I am grateful for their partnership and support and confident that, together, we will continue to build an even stronger future for Texas Tech University.”

Texas Tech Athletics has also received substantial donor support during the ON&ON Campaign. The department concluded the Fearless Champions Campaign, which had a transformative impact on athletics facilities across campus, creating world-class training and competition environments for all Texas Tech sports.

The breadth of generosity seen through the ON&ON Campaign is reflected in the numbers:

  • $1.06 billion raised for Texas Tech;
  • 89,104 donors supported the university, 37,771 of whom were first-time donors;
  • 799 new scholarship/aid funds established;
  • Nearly $112 million raised for scholarships and aid to support students and student-athletes;
  • $2.2 million raised during the first four Days of Giving;
  • 674 new endowments created to support programs across all four campaign priorities; 
  • 13 new endowed academic positions established; 
  • $318 million raised to support Texas Tech Athletics; and
  • More than $185 million raised for community initiatives, solidifying the university’s commitment to improving lives in Lubbock and the broader West Texas region.

Together, these gifts represent the kind of lasting impact that will go on and on, shaping Texas Tech and the lives it touches for generations to come.

Infographic titled "ON&ON By the Numbers" showing $1.06 billion raised to date with 89,104 donors as of May 1, 2026, and 28% of the campaign remaining. The four campaign priorities and their totals are listed: Transform Lives, $224 million; Fuel Academic Excellence, $253 million; Elevate Campus & Community, $204 million; and Build Champions, $318 million.
ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University has raised $1.06 billion to date across its four priorities — Transform Lives ($224M), Fuel Academic Excellence ($253M), Elevate Campus & Community ($204M) and Build Champions ($318M) — with 28% of the campaign still remaining.

The campaign was publicly launched in October 2024 with the priorities of Transform Lives, Fuel Academic Excellence, Elevate Campus & Community and Build Champions. With the campaign running through Aug. 31, 2028, there are still many opportunities for those looking to make an impact.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from donors, alumni, volunteers, staff, faculty and friends,” said Byron Kennedy, vice president for advancement. “Their gifts are making a difference at Texas Tech that can be seen today and will continue to change lives for generations to come. As we move into the final years of the ON&ON Campaign, there are even more ways for donors to give back to Texas Tech in ways that are meaningful to them, the students and the campus community.”

Approximately 40 people pose for a group photo inside a brick-walled event venue. Carl and Marilynn Thoma stand at the center, flanked by Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec and surrounded by Thoma Scholars dressed in formal attire.
Thoma Scholars gather with program founders Carl and Marilynn Thoma and Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec at the annual Thoma Scholars Banquet. The Thoma Scholars Program, established through the ON&ON Campaign, provides full scholarships and leadership development for rural students from the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and eastern New Mexico.

 

Transform Lives

The transformative power of a Texas Tech education begins with access. As the university continues to set enrollment records, increasing scholarships and student support remain key focuses of ON&ON. Ensuring a world-class Texas Tech education remains within reach is one of the most direct ways donors can change a student’s life.

Learn More About Scholarships & Student Support

Nine people dressed in professional black suits stand in a row outside the Texas Tech School of Law building, all holding up the Guns Up hand sign. A man in a black suit with a red tie stands at the center of the group.
Veteran’s Law Clinic students and their supervising instructor pose outside the Texas Tech School of Law. Founded through the ON&ON Campaign, the Veterans Law Clinic is the only pro bono legal clinic in West Texas dedicated solely to veterans, providing free legal assistance while giving law students hands-on experience advocating for those who served.

Elevate Campus & Community

Lubbock and the Texas Tech campus are vibrant hubs where ideas collide, friendships form and experiences shape character. ON&ON investments in campus and community strengthen those ties — evolving the programs, classrooms and gathering places that further the transformation that defines a Texas Tech education. Current priorities include:

  • A new home for Davis College designed to meet the needs of growing student and faculty populations. The 160,000-square-foot structure reimagines how Davis College students, faculty and staff learn, work, collaborate and congregate.
  • The Design Village is a new flagship facility for cross-disciplinary design education. Conceptualized to bring together all educational components of design (engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and more), this facility will provide Texas Tech students with the collaborative experience vital for career readiness. 
John and Rachel Brownlee stand together in the stands of Jones AT&T Stadium, both holding up the Guns Up hand sign and smiling. The stadium scoreboard behind them displays "Brownlee Center for Real Estate, Texas Tech Rawls College of Business.
Texas Tech alumni John and Rachel Brownlee pose at Jones AT&T Stadium following the announcement of their gift to the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business. Their investment through the ON&ON Campaign renamed the center the John and Rachel Brownlee Center for Real Estate, expanding scholarships, internships and faculty support for nearly 300 students pursuing careers in commercial real estate.

 

Fuel Academic Excellence

Texas Tech is committed to recruiting and retaining top-tier faculty and empowering them to teach to the highest standards. The university also strives to equip its faculty with the tools they need to pursue the most meaningful research across numerous disciplines that address challenges affecting the region, the state, the nation and the world.

Learn More About Faculty Support & Research

Build Champions

Red Raiders are more than athletes. They personify the fierce determination and grit that define Texas Tech, and donor support helps them win on and off the field. While the collegiate sports landscape is always evolving, donor investment ensures Texas Tech Athletics can compete at the highest levels and empower student-athletes to remain forever part of the Red Raider community.

Learn More About Giving to Texas Tech Athletics

“Getting involved in the campaign is the right thing to do,” ON&ON Campaign co-chair Gordon Davis said. “There are already more than 89,000 people who have said, ‘Yes,’ to supporting Texas Tech in over a billion ways. Giving back is important. I’ve learned since my first philanthropic gift in 1990, the more I give, the luckier I get! So step up and become part of the ON&ON Campaign. You will be rewarded in ways you can’t imagine now. I have no interest in mediocrity whatsoever. The same is true across our great university.”

Fellow campaign co-chair Chris Huckabee pointed to the cumulative power of every gift given.

“It’s astounding to see how our donors have impacted Texas Tech over the ON&ON Campaign,” Huckabee said. “We appreciate every gift, because no matter the size, what we see today is that it all adds up and it all makes a difference. Our donors are changing lives, and now is the time to get involved.

About ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University

Publicly launched in October 2024, ON&ON: The Campaign for Texas Tech University is a campaign for impact, propelling the university to new heights of excellence and global recognition while continuing to provide a world-class education for students in Texas and beyond. Since Sept. 1, 2020, the campaign has raised more than $1.06 billion thanks to the generosity of 89,104 donors, alumni and friends supporting the priorities of Transform Lives, Fuel Academic Excellence, Elevate Campus & Community and Build Champions.

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© 2026  Texas Tech University May 11, 2026 3:17 PM