When Texas Woman’s University publicly launched its first-ever major fundraising campaign in September 2023, the goal was ambitious: raise $125 million by the Denton school’s 125th anniversary in 2026.

With less than two months remaining in the fundraising effort, the university isn’t just on track to meet that milestone — it’s blown past it. TWU passed its initial goal in August 2024, nearly two years early, when BuzzBallz founder Merrilee Kick gave a record $30 million to the university’s business college. Now, the Dream Big campaign has surpassed $195 million, exceeding its original goal by $70 million.

“It was a big goal. Then we passed it. And kept going,” Carine Feyten, chancellor of the TWU System and president of the Denton campus, said at the Dream Makers Soirée on Oct. 24. “Now there is a new number on the scoreboard: $200 million.”

Where the money will go

TWU will allocate Dream Big funds for a broad swath of needs, including:

• Scholarships.
• Paid internships.
• Mentorship programs.
• Career services.
• Study-abroad programs.
• Endowed chairs and professorships.
• STEM initiatives. 
• Sports facilities.

For fiscal 2027, which started Sept. 1, TWU’s operating budget totals $335 million.

A period of growth

The fundraising success underscores the recent growth of TWU, founded in 1901:

• TWU’s enrollment rose 5.9% year over year to 16,412 for the fall 2026 semester. That’s the second-highest enrollment in TWU history.
• TWU opened the $107 million Health Sciences Center in February. The academic and community health center follows a “teach, train and treat” model designed to feed the health-care talent pipeline in Texas and support access to care in rural and underserved communities.
• In August, the university’s Board of Regents approved a new bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. While the program awaits approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, TWU has developed the curriculum and plans to start offering classes as soon as the fall of 2027.
• Last month, the university broke ground on a $30 million sports complex. Over the past six years, it has expanded from five varsity sports to nine and more than doubled the number of student-athletes.

“Texas Woman’s is becoming a stronger, more ambitious university,” Feyten said. “We are expanding opportunities for students, strengthening our academic program, increasing our research capacity, and investing in our campuses and facilities.”

Celebrating success

More than 250 guests attended the Dream Makers Soirée.

Donors gained an up-close look at what their support makes possible at the university through various presentations. Each presentation illustrated aspects of TWU’s academic programs, student-support initiatives, research efforts and athletic programs.

Dawn S. Chaney, a three-time TWU graduate whose $10 million gift is funding the athletics complex that will bear her name, attends the Oct. 24 Dream Makers Soirée. [Photo: TWU]

Also, attendees saw high-tech patient simulators used in TWU’s nationally recognized nursing and allied health programs, along with equipment at university clinics that helps patients improve mobility. An immersive presentation followed a young patient navigating complex health challenges with support from TWU’s community clinics.

Elsewhere, a sports-themed locker display packed with Pioneer memorabilia proved to be a popular stop, while a digital airplane representing TWU’s Doswell School of Aeronautical Sciences appeared to fly overhead. The aeronautical sciences program enrolled its first class in 2024, thanks to a $15 million gift from the Dallas-based Doswell Foundation.

Meanwhile, students demonstrated the university’s award-winning wearable NASA technology, and an interactive display introduced guests to Minerva’s Market, the university’s free food pantry for students.

 The event also recognized the people behind the campaign’s success. Feyten honored top donors, as well as TWU Dallas President Christopher Johnson and TWU Houston President Monica Williams. State officials established the Texas Woman’s University System in 2021.