Saint Mary's University of Minnesota receives largest donation in school's history

MINNEAPOLIS -- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota announced Thursday that it received its largest gift in the school's 111-year history.

The university says it will use the $25 million donation to support efforts to revitalize the university and "cement the vision recently laid out by the president and university administration."

The benefactor of the donation remains anonymous but is said to be an alumnus of Saint Mary's.

According to Saint Mary's, the benefactor stated their appreciation of the hard work of the president and administration and see the university as one of the "few that have a clear plan to steer through the turbulent waters" those in higher education are facing.

"In these challenging times across higher education, this gift affirms that we are setting the course necessary to continue to serve students for decades to come," said Father James P. Burns, President of Saint Mary's University.

The donor family challenged the university to raise an additional $100 million between June 1, 2022 and Mary 31, 2024 as a stipulation of the gift. Additionally, the family set an expectation for undergraduate enrollment to increase from 800 to 900 students during the same timeframe.

"We are grateful beyond words to this family for their gift," said Board Chair Terrence Russell. "It is now a challenge for all of us who want to see our beloved Saint Mary's thrive and flourish in the future to step forward and make a philanthropic commitment to help us realize this gift."

Saint Mary is a private Catholic university with campuses in Minneapolis, Rochester, Winona and online.