Uncommon Will in Action: A Record Year for a Far Better World  

 

Michigan StateUniversity has announced it raised a record $380.1 million during the fiscal year that ended June 30. 

 

MSU is also in the early stagesof its Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign. The public phase of the campaign was launched in March of 2025. 

 

Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz and MSU Vice President for University Advancement Kim Tobin discuss fundraising’s role in MSU’s dynamic future. 

 

Conversation Highlights:

 

(0:43) - President Guskiewicz, you’ve now completed your first full fiscal year at Michigan State—and what a year it was. Over $380 million raised with more than 65,000 donors contributing to MSU’s future. What does that level of philanthropic support say to you about the MSU community?

 

(1:52) - Kim, you’ve been leading University Advancement through transformational growth. Can you walk us through what made this particular year stand out—and what it took behind the scenes to reach this milestone?

 

(3:20) - The campaign title—Uncommon Will. Far Better World. —is bold and aspirational. What does ‘Uncommon Will’ mean to each of you? And how is that playing out across the Spartan community?

 

(4:07) - How are you helping donors see themselves in this campaign—not just as financial supporters, but as co-creators of that ‘Far Better World’?

 

(5:41) - This campaign is about more than dollars—it’s about impact. What are some of the ways this momentum is directly benefiting students, research, and MSU’s mission right now?

 

(7:47) - This past year included 5 gifts of $5 million or more, totaling $138M—which is remarkable. What are you hearing from donors at that level that gives them confidence in investing at MSU?

 

(8:59) - What role has collaboration between faculty, deans, advancement officers, and university leadership played in this success?

 

(11:28) - How are you fostering a culture of philanthropy not just among donors, but across MSU’s internal teams—from students to staff to alumni ambassadors?

 

(13:19) - The campaign has a bold $4 billion goal. As you look ahead, what’s the next frontier for MSU fundraising and engagement?

 

(14:55) - As you continue your presidency, what do you hope people will say about this moment in time—this record-breaking year—and how it shaped the future of MSU?

 

(15:59) - If you could speak directly to the 65,474 donors who made this year possible—what would you want to say to them?

 

(16:44) - What does it mean to you—personally and professionally—to lead MSU during a time of such historic philanthropic support?

 

(17:43) – What should we keep in mind as the Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign progresses?

 

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Conversation Transcript:

Russ:

Michigan State University has announced it raised a record $380.1 million during the fiscal year that ended June 30th. MSU is also in the early stages of its Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign. The public phase of the campaign was launched in March of 2025. Michigan State University, President Kevin Guskiewicz and MSU Vice President for University Advancement, Kim Tobin, join me to discuss fundraising's role in MSU's dynamic future. Kevin and Kim, great to have you back on MSU Today.

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Thanks for having us, Russ.  as always, I enjoy catching up with you.

Kim Tobin:

Thank you.

Russ:

Kevin, you've now completed your first full fiscal year at Michigan State, and what a year it was with over $380 million raised with more than 65,000 donors contributing to MSU's future. What does that level of philanthropic support say to you about the MSU community?

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Well, I think it reflects extraordinary belief in Michigan State University's leadership, the direction that we're headed, and our purpose as a leading global public research university. And we have amazing stories to tell, and that's what successful philanthropy is all about. I think it underscores our identity as a people-powered institution; our community is all in. And I think that incredible number that you mentioned there, from this past year, I think reaffirms our shared commitment to building a future grounded in access, excellence, and impact. And I think it's a clear sign that Spartans don't just believe in the mission, they invest in it.

Russ:

Kim, you've been leading University Advancement through transformational growth. Can you walk us through what made this particular year stand out and what it took behind the scenes to reach this milestone?

Kim Tobin:

Thanks, Russ. I think really at the heart, it's the team that's worked together. They've been disciplined. We created a strategy three years ago to elevate our success, and people have been committed to that strategy throughout the last three years, and we have also built on the foundation of strong relationships for many years before that. So, the teamwork by the Advancement staff and the strong collaboration across the colleges and units have really been our secret to success. And I want to give a special thanks to our deans and the senior directors of development in the colleges and units. We partner with 28 units on campus to realize this mission and launching the Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign also created visibility for what we are doing at the university, and all the positive programs that are happening.

And one of the things that was evidence of people's belief in us is our historic success with our Give Green Day, back in March. It's a single day where we celebrate gifts of all sizes, and in that single day we had 7,716 gifts made totaling $2.2 million for many different funds across campus. So, it just showed the energy and excitement and the teamwork at play.

Russ:

The campaign title, Uncommon Will. Far Better World. is bold and aspirational. Kevin, maybe you first, what does Uncommon Will mean to you, and how is that playing out across the Spartan community?

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Well, I think it means that we do the extraordinary and the uniquely MSU things that distinguish us. And I think it's the relentless drive to push boundaries in research, teaching, and outreach.

Kim Tobin:

I would add that our donor community has shown that they choose action over apathy, and they want to make a difference. It's not just about doing more but doing it boldly and intentionally. I think our Spartan spirit, leading with purpose and perseverance is really evident.

Russ:

Kim, how are you helping donors see themselves in this campaign, not just as financial supporters, but as co-creators of that far better world?

Kim Tobin:

Well, we have over 550,000 Spartan alumni who are engaged with us, and we have many more people who are friends and adopted Spartans who are really involved in our advancement efforts. It shows a community that's committed to being involved in ways that create the difference between being good and great. Transformational gifts can help us shape MSU's future, which they really care about. And they want to be involved in creating impact. And whether it's naming programs or mentoring students and being involved in their university, they're part of the inside of the university. They’re not just looking from the outside. And they're embedded in our momentum, and they are part of things.

And one of the great stories that we have in that is our longest standing donor, who is a fellow named Ceo Bauer. He's 102 years old, and he's an MSU alum and World War II veteran who has lived a remarkable life supporting the Spartans for over 72 years consecutively. So, he has given over that time supporting scholarships and philanthropy, and I think his status is what Spartans are all about. Spartans Will, and we appreciate his support. Those are the stories we get to learn and hear from our alumni. We see people being on this journey with us throughout their lifetime.

Russ:

And Kevin, this campaign is about more than dollars, it's about impact. What are some of the ways this momentum is directly benefiting students, research, and MSU's mission right now?

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Well, Russ, one of the things that I've said during my first, gosh, 16, 17 months now, hard to believe time flies, is that access and affordability are so important to be the university that I know Michigan State aspires to be. And I think this is going to allow us to expand that access with more scholarships and financial aid for high achieving underrepresented students. That is something that we're committed to. The Williams Scholars program is probably the best example of this, and we're raising a lot of money for this prestigious merit-based scholarship program, but also for need-based scholarship. I think a second area of impact is around fueling innovation and supporting cutting edge research in areas like mobility, agriculture, and health, and creating synergy across these areas, that again, I think can allow Michigan State to lead. And we must be able to recruit and retain the talent that can help us to do that, to fuel that innovation.

I think a third area is around creating opportunity. We have some unique programs here that I have come to know and love. I spent most of my morning today on one of those, and that's our Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, to think about how we expand that out to support the Metro Detroit area in an incredible partnership with Apple and the Gilbert Family Foundation. But FRIB is another example, as you well know, in terms of the global reach that FRIB has, our facility for rare isotope beams and all that can happen there. But this is really about strengthening MSU's position as a top tier public research university, a leading global public research university, as I like to call it, and fundraising just amplifies all of these possibilities.

Russ:

And Kim, this past year included five gifts of $5 million or more, totaling $138 million, which is really remarkable. What are you hearing from donors at that level that gives them confidence in investing at MSU?

Kim Tobin:

I think that level of action reflects belief in leadership. People have been yearning for clear visionary leadership, which President Guskiewicz brings, and our deans too. People are excited about the leadership, they believe in the vision that they are putting forth for MSU's next chapter, and they have great confidence in our strategic direction and see us as a place that there's a high return on their philanthropic investment. And I think about Ben and Barb Maybach who have been giving for over 53 years to MSU. They started with a $1 gift in the late 60s after they graduated, and now they are campaign co-chairs along with Greg and Dawn Williams and are doing a lot of transformational things with us at the university. And you have to build trust and relationships over time, but people also invest in places where they believe in leadership and the people and the outcomes that are coming to reality.

Russ:

We have known for years that MSU has a very low bar for collaboration, we're wondering what role that collaboration between faculty, deans, advancement officers, and university leadership played in this success?

Kim Tobin:

As I mentioned earlier, Russ, we partner with 28 colleges and units, everything from the library to the Wharton Center, to the Broad Art Museum, and Athletics. They all have fundraising teams embedded in those units. And as President Guskiewicz has charged us to act as one team, our donors are multi-dimensional. They often have a degree from one place, but interest in multiple areas, and we work together to make sure that they can realize the things that they want to do, often with multiple areas on campus. You see people giving more when they don't have to choose one area over another, and so that's part of our philosophy here working as one team. Cross-disciplinary projects also sometimes resonate with donors. We have things like that happening with our Ethics Institute, and Entrepreneurship and other areas. So, we're really trying to meet our donors and alumni where they are and respect that they have multiple interests and operating accordingly.

Kevin Guskiewicz:

This culture of collaboration has existed here for quite a while, long before I got here. But I don't know that we were placing enough emphasis on it. I think we've built this culture over time. I've been focusing on reframing it a bit talking about alignment and shared purposes across Michigan State University. MSU solving the world's greatest challenges requires different perspectives on solving a problem and bringing our humanists together with our natural scientists with our biomedical researchers and others. And I could go on and on, but I think building that strong internal trust translates to external momentum, and I think our donors are beginning to see that whenever we bring them to campus and showcase some of the incredible work that we're doing. We go out across the state through the Spartan Bus Tours that we've now done twice in the last year to see the impact that we have through this culture of collaboration. Our donor base and alumni base are noticing it, so we're picking up momentum.

Russ:

Kim, how are you fostering a culture of philanthropy, not just among donors, but across MSU's internal teams, from students, to staff, to alumni ambassadors?

Kim Tobin:

Our University Advancement mission is to advance Spartan impact, and that takes everybody. Everybody from our operations teams to our faculty and staff who are delivering programs to accounting for the investment of financial resources that are important. We are responsible about that. Because philanthropy is an optimistic act, and people need to believe in us that we are going to be able to carry out our mission and improve a life of a student or perform research. Our donors are optimistic that they can change the world with us. And so, that takes everybody on campus to help us do that. Since 1855, we've been working on pioneering initiatives that have impacted society, as the president just mentioned. But yet, Spartans are humble and roll up their sleeves and get to work and work together, and we see that in our Advancement work that we extend across campus. Building a culture of philanthropy is really critical to see and realize the results that we saw this year.

When people work together to welcome visitors to campus in a way that makes them want to come back or inspire them with their leadership stories, it makes it easy to give. We need to make sure we're telling the stories and communicating with people across the globe. We were on an international Spartan alumni event this spring. Bringing messages to people wherever they are about the great things that are happening here and continuing to do the great work is essentially at the heart of that as well.

Russ:

The campaign has a bold $4 billion goal. As you look ahead, what's the next frontier for MSU fundraising and engagement?

Kim Tobin:

Well, so far, we are at about $1.2 billion toward that goal, and so we've got quite a bit of road to traverse together in front of us. But just activating the next generation of donors is really important. We’re focused a lot on digital engagement with our alumni so we can reach people internationally and across the country. That is really important. We obviously have a big emphasis on One Health and translational health. When you are doing big things like that, I think people really feel like we are creating a far better world.

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Yeah, I would just add that I think it's about convincing the donor base and alumni base that we are embracing the rich traditions that exist here at Michigan State University, but we will also become a more contemporary thinking looking university. We need their help to do that. The One Health Initiative, I think is a perfect example of one of those things that'll be uniquely MSU, bringing together veterinary medicine with nursing, and some of our allied health professions, and our two colleges of medicine, to think about solving these big problems together. It's through these new bold ideas that people will see a more contemporary looking university that they'll be proud of.

Russ:

And Kevin, as you continue your presidency, what do you hope people will say about this moment in time, this record-breaking year, and how it shaped the future of MSU?

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Well, I think it's a turning point, Russ. I think it's a time when Spartans came together, united to invest boldly in the future of a place that our alumni are passionate about. It's not, again, just about breaking records or about the dollar amount. It's about resilience, relevance, and a responsibility that we have as a public university that the taxpayers expect a return on their investment. We are committed to that. And I think it's a demonstration of what public universities can achieve when we lead with purpose. That's what we're doing, and so I think we'll look back in years from now and perhaps consider this a launch pad for generations of future Spartans.

Russ:

And if you could both speak directly to the 65,474 donors who made this year possible, what would you want to say to them? Kim, you first.

Kim Tobin:

Well, first and foremost, thank you! Heartfelt thanks! You had a choice, and you chose MSU. Together we are making a difference and hopefully making you proud. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Kevin Guskiewicz:

In addition to great thanks, your generosity is shaping the lives, advancing knowledge, and building community. And you are the heartbeat of this campaign. You make Michigan State University possible, and your uncommon will is already making a far better world. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Russ:

And Kevin, what does it mean to you personally and professionally to lead MSU during a time of such historic philanthropic support?

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Well, Russ, I think it's a humbling vote of confidence perhaps from Spartans across the globe. I've heard from so many of them. Kim mentioned the 550,000 living Spartan alums. And I have a long way to go until I can say I've met them all. I hope I do somehow, some way. But I think it's a deep reminder of our responsibility to steward MSU's legacy and future, and it motivates me every day to uphold this community's trust. And I think it’s a sign that Michigan State University's best chapters are yet to be written, and we're writing them together. Perhaps when we write this all up someday, we might call it something like for greener pastures.

Russ:

Kevin and Kim, as we wrap up, just leave us some final thoughts about the Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign you'd like us to keep in mind as we move forward.

Kim Tobin:

Well, please join us. We'll be on the road coming to different communities. Come to our events. Please give us your feedback and stay involved. The best part of this is connecting with all the people who have thoughts of how we're doing things and what we can be better at. The best part is that you are willing to be involved in multiple ways, and we look forward to seeing you on the road and out on campus.

Kevin Guskiewicz:

I echo what Kim said, and I'll just add to something I've been saying quite often, that is, I enjoy hearing from our alumni when they think that things are going really well, but I also want to hear from them when they, for whatever reason, think that we could be doing better. And we are making incredible progress, but we're not perfect. I want to work toward that. So, we want to keep folks engaged, and part of that is building that trust and knowing that we're here to listen.

Russ:

Well, Kevin and Kim, congratulations again on the $380.1 million record fundraising year at MSU, and all the best as we move forward in the Uncommon Will. Far Better World. campaign. The best place for people to go is Farbetterworld.msu.edu, and Go Green to both of you!

Kim Tobin:

Go White!

Kevin Guskiewicz:

Go White!

Russ:

I'm Russ White. This is MSU Today.