Bold and Blue builds momentum for SDSU’s premier land-grant status

Bold & Blue, the largest comprehensive capital campaign ever in the state of South Dakota, launched in October 2021. The campaign will raise $500 million and focus on people-centered initiatives, scholarships and faculty support. The campaign has a target amount of nearly twice the funds raised during the SDSU Foundation's previous campaign, It Starts with State.

Comprehensive capital campaigns are transformative for universities, providing the margin of excellence for teaching, learning and research. Bold & Blue focuses on investments in four overarching areas: Our People, Our Places, Our Traditions and Our Innovations.

The largest portion of the campaign is anticipated to focus on people through scholarships for students, endowments for faculty, and leadership and research positions to attract and retain top academic talent.

The campaign will also include an investment on 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.

First Bank & Trust made a $20 million naming gift in September 2021, to champion the estimated $53 million project.

The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Hobo Day, Little International and Prairie Repertory Theatre are among the SDSU traditions targeted for current gifts and endowments to provide sustainable financial support.

The innovations align with the university's premier land-grant status and continued growth of precision agriculture, bioprocessing and research in the development and delivery of therapeutic medicine.