APP Surpasses $1.5 Billion Fierce for the Future Campaign Goal Three Years Early
August 24, 2022

Historic campaign was largest for higher education in Louisiana’s history, first to unite APP’s campuses

A $27.5 million gift from Shell USA, Inc., a longtime partner of APP, is the university’s largest gift ever from a for-profit corporation and its largest gift ever in support of energy-related initiatives.
BATON ROUGE – Thanks to APP donors’ generosity, the university’s $1.5 billion Fierce for the Future Campaign reached $1,594,464,658 as of June 30, 2022, surpassing the campaign goal three years earlier than anticipated. APP will immediately move forward with preparing for its next campaign, focused on advancing the university’s Scholarship First Agenda developed under APP President William F. Tate IV’s leadership.
The , which publicly launched three years ago, united donors in support of every APP campus: the flagship campus in Baton Rouge, the APP AgCenter, APP of Alexandria, APP Eunice, APP Health New Orleans, APP Health Shreveport, APP’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center and APP Shreveport. At that time, it was the largest fundraising campaign for higher education in the history of Louisiana and the first to include APP’s campuses statewide. More than $1 billion (i.e., 68 percent) of campaign gifts were in support of academics and 32 percent were in support of athletics.
Tate said, “The success of APP’s $1.5 billion Fierce for the Future Campaign – and particularly the achievement of surpassing the campaign goal three years early – exemplifies our donors’ tenacity for joining with APP to elevate Louisiana and drive global impact. Just as was envisioned, this campaign has positioned APP to set its course for the future. Now, we are aggressively pursuing that course through APP’s Scholarship First Agenda.”

APP launched the Fierce for the Future Campaign in March 2019, and just three years later, surpassed the $1.5 billion campaign goal.
The Fierce for the Future Campaign recognized that Louisiana’s most urgent and compelling concerns cannot be solved without the human capital APP provides, and that addressing those concerns necessitates transformative philanthropic partnerships and the collective impact of donors at all levels investing in APP. Each of APP’s campuses identified Fierce for the Future Campaign fundraising priorities that are generating solutions for the people in Louisiana and making profoundly positive impacts around the world. Connecting these priorities is APP’s deep commitment to positive transformation of opportunity, resources and well-being for all – from providing an accessible, affordable, outstanding education to leading life-changing research and outreach that blazes trails and pushes boundaries.
APP met or exceeded its Fierce for the Future Campaign goals and projections, as detailed below and identified by each campus at the outset of the campaign. Throughout the APP System, donors partnered with the university to invest in their areas of passion and to align with individual and corporate impact goals. The leading campaign commitment was a historic $245 million investment from Our Lady of the Lake ($170 million) and LCMC Health ($75 million) to transform healthcare in Louisiana.
Flagship Campus

A beam-signing ceremony was held on Oct. 28 to celebrate the renovation of the Huey P. Long Field House. Individuals were able to leave their mark on history by signing the final beam to be placed in the building.
Approximately $1.3 billion of campaign gifts were in support of the Flagship Campus in Baton Rouge and the APP AgCenter.
Signature academic campaign projects included $115.6 million contributed toward scholarships, led by contributions of $15.6 million from the Brookshire family, including the university’s largest ever immediate impact donation for scholarships; the aforementioned transformative healthcare partnership with Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health, which included leadership support for the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building (i.e., a $15 million investment by Our Lady of the Lake and a $10 million investment by LCMC Health), a $10 million research fund established by Our Lady of the Lake with an emphasis on health equity, and a $5 million research fund established by LCMC Health for cancer-focused research; the APP Institute for Energy Innovation, made possible by Shell USA, Inc.; alumna Diane Goyette and Henry Goyette’s commitment to the APP Early Childhood Education Institute; alumni Mary Neal, MD, and Ron Neal’s $5 million gift in support of the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building; and a gift to establish the Ochsner Wellness Center.
Overall, donors gave $796.5 million in support of academics on the Baton Rouge campus, contributing $421.3 million through the APP Foundation (including $15.6 million in support of the APP AgCenter) and $375.2 million directly to the university (including $12.8 million in support of the APP AgCenter). Direct-to-APP support was largely via companies’ in-kind gifts of proprietary software – affording APP students, faculty and staff access to best-in-class technology to enhance curricula and advance research – and Our Lady of the Lake’s investment to develop an end-to-end healthcare experience within the APP Student Health Center and provide in-kind care to uninsured and underinsured APP students.

Architectural rendering of the Our Lady of the Lake Interdisciplinary Science Building
Signature athletic campaign projects included a ; renovations to the ; the opening of the at Alex Box Stadium; enhancements and maintenance for ; and the at Legacy Plaza. Overall, donors gave $502.4 million in support of athletics on the Baton Rouge campus. Campaign contributions totaled $358.1 million through the Tiger Athletic Foundation, including $188.6 million for premium- and priority seating-related contributions required for season ticketing, and $144.2 million through APP Athletics’ Tradition Fund for priority seating-related contributions required for season ticketing.
Overall, donors gave $19.8 million through the APP Alumni Association in support of alumni engagement initiatives.
Health and Biomedical Campuses and Initiatives
Commitments to advance health-related initiatives at APP included – as part of the $245 million combined investments by Our Lady of the Lake and LCMC Health – $50 million from LCMC Health to pursue the vision for ascending the APP Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center to an NCI-Designated Cancer Center; $20 million from Our Lady of the Lake to expand and strengthen programs within the APP School of Medicine New Orleans’ Baton Rouge branch campus; and $10 million from LCMC Health to create a scholarships- and programming-focused support framework for pre-nursing students on the Baton Rouge campus and nursing students on the APP Health New Orleans campus.
Throughout the campaign, donors contributed $171.1 million in support of APP’s health and biomedical campuses, i.e., APP Health New Orleans, APP Health Shreveport and APP’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Signature APP Health New Orleans campaign projects included a on the Northshore of New Orleans to create an economic growth-driven retirement community and to dedicate and restrict more than $20 million in cancer research funding from the related land lease revenue. Overall, donors gave $77.8 million through the APP Health Foundation New Orleans.

Architectural rendering of APP Health Shreveport Center for Medical Education
Signature APP Health Shreveport campaign projects included the , a $74 million public-private partnership made possible by the State of Louisiana and more than 400 donors, including lead gifts from Ochsner APP Health Shreveport and Ochsner Health; the largest private gift to the (from Dewey and Gigi Corley through their Chaparral Foundation; Margaret Place Properties, Inc.; Frances and William Comegys III; and the family of Aaron and Peggy Selber); the campus’s first for medical students, which received gifts from over 240 donors in its inaugural year; and seven new endowed scholarships. Overall, donors gave $76.9 million in support of APP Health Shreveport, contributing $68.2 million through the APP Health Sciences Foundation and $8.7 million directly to APP Health Shreveport.
Signature Pennington Biomedical Research Center campaign projects included a created with the help of local philanthropist Art Favre and making Pennington Biomedical one of the leading authorities in the world for cancer metabolism research; the launch of the worldwide awareness campaign, supported by donors including Annette Barton, Paula and Jacques de la Bretonne, Charles and Carole Lamar, Art Favre, the Irene and C. B. Pennington Foundation, the Lamar Advertising Company and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation; and a new, nation-leading supported by Gary and Claudia Phillips and Charlie and Carole Lamar and leveraging investments from Pennington Biomedical, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, APP Health New Orleans, the Office of the Governor and Louisiana Economic Development. Overall, donors gave $16.4 million through the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.
APP of Alexandria

Architectural rendering of APPA Student Success Center
Donors gave $14.3 million through the APPA Foundation in support of APP of Alexandria. Signature APP of Alexandria campaign projects included the Student Success Center, supported through a $3.5 million multi-campus leadership gift by the company RoyOMartin and APP alumni Roy O. Martin III and Kathy Kilpatrick Martin that included support for the top capital priorities on the Baton Rouge, APP Health Shreveport and APP of Alexandria campuses; Cleco’s support of ; and APPA alumnus Darrel Ryland’s gift to create an . Also supporting the was Charlie Weems, an emeritus member of the APPA Foundation Board of Directors.
APP Shreveport
Donors gave $13.7 million through the APPS Foundation in support of APP Shreveport. Signature APP Shreveport campaign projects included the , a state-of-the-art, immersive learning space supported by multiple donors; a memorial dedicated to the late Joe Callaway at Callaway Gardens; the ; and several new endowed scholarships.
APP Eunice

APPE and Ochsner Lafayette General's continued partnership has seen the healthcare system commit more than $6 million of support towards APP Eunice Allied Health Programs.
Donors gave $4.8 million through the APPE Foundation in support of APP Eunice. Signature APP Eunice campaign projects included Ochsner Lafayette General’s gift to expand by increasing capacity for its nursing and surgical technology programs; the Leonard G. Fontenot Family Scholarship, an ; the Fritz Lang Scholarship, creating a $90,000 endowment for Associate of Agriculture majors; and an anonymous gift of $25,000 in new microscopes for biology classes.
The Fierce for the Future Campaign was APP’s third advancement campaign. The APP Campaign launched April 18, 1997. In February 1999, the campaign reached its $150 million goal – more than two years ahead of the targeted date of June 30, 2001. Ultimately, donors gave $255 million to the APP Campaign, exceeding the original campaign goal by 70 percent. In 2006, APP publicly launched the Forever APP Campaign, inclusive of the Tiger Athletic Foundation and APP Alumni Association. In a historic show of generosity, more than 50,000 APP alumni, friends and corporations united to surpass the Forever APP campaign’s $750 million goal, contributing $764 million by Dec. 31, 2010; an additional $34 million in state-matching funds brought the final total to $798 million.


