SDSU launches Bold & Blue

The $500 million campaign will focus on elevating the university’s people, places, traditions, and innovations.

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“Our university is premier—and will remain premier—because of the generosity of tens of thousands. The bold initiative we are announcing today will continue to transform this university and continue to shape the lives of students for generations to come.”

President Barry Dunn shared these inspiring words on October 21, 2021, at the announcement of South Dakota State University’s third comprehensive campaign in the school’s history.

Entitled Bold & Blue, the campaign aims to raise $500 million in support of SDSU. This target amount represents nearly twice the funds raised in SDSU’s last campaign, It Starts with STATE, which concluded in 2013 and raised $255 million.

To even greater illustrate the university’s fundraising evolution and ambition, SDSU’s first campaign, Visions for the Future, exceeded its $50 million goal by $2 million during a five-year campaign from 1994-1998.

Bold & Blue is not only the largest philanthropic fundraising initiative in the history of the university, but in the history of the state of South Dakota.

It’s a reflection of the trajectory of our university. Our state and region’s economic future need SDSU to remain a dynamic and growing university. This historic investment in SDSU during this campaign will do that.

Dana Dykhouse | Chair of First PREMIER Bank and a campaign co-chair

The public launch of Bold & Blue was essentially five years in the making. Foundation and university leadership first began discussions and planning meetings for the campaign in July of 2016, just two months after Dunn was named SDSU’s 20th president. As of the official public launch of the campaign, more than $340 million had been committed during the leadership phase, which began in January 2017.

Bold & Blue is a people-centered campaign that focuses on investments in four over-arching categories aimed to elevate every corner of the university: Our People, Our Places, Our Traditions and Our Innovations.

The largest portion of the campaign will focus on people, including scholarships for students, endowments for faculty, and leadership and research positions to attract and retain top academic talent. People are SDSU’s greatest resources, and increasing the resources available to Jackrabbits is paramount to the campaign’s mission.

Bold & Blue also emphasizes new and revitalized facilities. The largest and most prominent facility in the places category is the renovation of SDSU’s nearly 50-year-old basketball arena. Formerly known as Frost Arena, First Bank & Trust has made a $20 million naming gift to champion the project, which is estimated to cost $50 million overall.

Bold & Blue will heighten and sustain beloved traditions at State, including the Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Hobo Day, Little International, and Prairie Rep Theatre. Through concentrated financial support, this campaign will ensure these time-honored rites of passage will be available to Jackrabbits in perpetuity.

Last, the innovations made possible by Bold & Blue align with the university’s premier land grant status. These advancements bolster the growth of precision agriculture, bioprocessing, and research in the development and delivery of pharmaceutical drugs, just to name a few of SDSU’s cutting-edge projects.

While the campaign is and will continue to be a collaborative effort that requires the support of Jackrabbits of all generations, the initiative is guided by the dedication and leadership of three business and industry leaders. Bold & Blue is spearheaded by campaign co-chairs Dana Dykhouse and Kim Tyler, a 1982 graduate and a retired Kellogg Company executive. Jerry Lohr, a 1958 alum and founder of J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, is the honorary chair. Lohr has served in a leadership role in all three of the university’s campaigns.

By launching Bold & Blue, SDSU introduces a new level of fundraising and continues to raise the bar in what the yellow and blue community can accomplish. The unprecedented ambition and audacious goal of the campaign establishes State as a leader in academic excellence and as a top-tier destination for building the future.

“Comprehensive campaigns are critical to the success of our university,” said Dunn. “The generosity of our donors has helped to differentiate our university for decades, and Bold & Blue will continue that legacy. The campaign will strengthen all areas of our university and provide even more opportunities for the best and brightest to pursue their academic dreams and earn a degree from a premier land grant university like SDSU.”

Bold & Blue Launch Events

The SDSU Foundation shared the public launch of the campaign with two historic events.

A Bold Announcement debuted in Club 71 of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, where Dykhouse himself introduced the goal of Bold & Blue to a standing-room-only audience of both members of the public and key business and industry partners. Over 600 friends from the yellow and blue community also tuned in to the live stream.

The action shifted to the Alumni Green and Sylvan Theater for the most iconic celebration in university history, Forever Blue: Twilight at the Campanile. The festivities included live performances from the SDSU Concert Choir, drumline, and the Pride. Over 3,000 Jackrabbits joined in the excitement, receiving complimentary concessions, Bold & Blue logo wear, and glow-in-the-dark thunder sticks to set the stage for the return of spectacular projections on the Coughlin Campanile.

Bold & Blue was unveiled in one unforgettable night of togetherness and State spirit, with countless memories made that were nothing short of remarkable. The awe-inspiring celebration is just a glimpse into the potential and momentum that awaits the university as this campaign brings about an unparalleled chapter of the SDSU legacy.

Bold & Blue. For SDSU.

CREATING A BOLD FUTURE FOR SDSU TODAY

Our people are what make SDSU special—the vibrance, heart, and loyalty of the Jackrabbit family. The Bold & Blue campaign is about coming together as one to make an incredible impact on our university. Together, we’ll achieve ambitious goals, create transformative opportunities, and propel SDSU into a bold future.

Join the Campaign