The University of Illinois says it raised nearly $500 million in outside money over the past year, posting a record system-wide amount.
The university announced Friday that the $498.5 million fundraising total for the 2018 fiscal year is $212 million more than it raised the year before in contributions and grants.
The fundraising mark comes after the university publicly launched a major fundraising campaign last fall. The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports the university's main campus has raised $1.35 billion toward its $2.3 billion goal by 2022.
A $150 million donation last fall from Chicago businessman Larry Gies (GEES') helped boost the fundraising total.
The university's foundation has also created a registered charity in England in an effort to attract more donations from graduates in the United Kingdom and Europe.