'40 Hours For The 40 Acres' Launched At UT-Austin

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Texas at Austin on Tuesday launched "40 Hours for the Forty Acres," a crowdfunding campaign to promote project designed to thrive, adapt and grow amid unprecedented times during which the coronavirus pandemic looms large.

For 40 hours, alumni, students, faculty members, staffers and friends will come together to support world-changing people, places and programs across UT-Austin, school officials explained. To that end, the "Texas-sized day of giving" launched at 6 a.m. Tuesday that is scheduled to conclude at 10 p.m. on Wednesday. More than 150 student organizations, projects, programs, departments and cultural centers across the university are crowdfunding to thrive, adapt and grow during unprecedented times, officials said.

The annual campaign has raised more than $16 million since launching seven years ago, officials said. The initative offers a unique opportunity for people connected to the university to rally and make a gift to support their passions. Gifts can be designated to:

• Support students affected by COVID-19.
• Further coronavirus research efforts.
• Fund scholarships for talented students.
• Support museums through changing circumstances.
• Provide seed grants for groundbreaking disease research projects.
• And much more.

“The gifts UT receives from our proud supporters during 40 for Forty enable our students to pursue their dreams while giving our faculty the freedom to innovate boldly and make world-changing breakthroughs in research, scholarship, artistic expression and beyond,” UT-Austin interim President Jay Hartzell said in a prepared statement.

During the 40 hours, numerous giving challenges and matching gifts create excitement and incentivize participation, according to university officials. As an example, the first $5,000 in gifts made by people who have never gifted the University of Texas at Austin will be matched dollar for dollar, officials noted.

Last year, more than 6,600 members of Longhorn Nation made gifts during 40 for Forty. "Participation has grown dramatically as philanthropy has become an increasingly important part of funding excellence at UT," officials noted.

Kush Patel, a public health student, expressed gratitude to 40 for Forty for supporting one of his favorite UT programs: “Through the UT Inventors Program, I was able to engage in geopolitical research challenges with a prominent local company,” Patel said in a prepared statement. “This opportunity provided great professional development and landed me an internship with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. I’m immensely grateful to 40 for Forty.”

This year UT graduates Linda Steen Norris and Lee Norris are participating in 40 for Forty by making commitments to establish an endowed scholarship for students and support multiple sclerosis research, officials added.

“Linda has had MS for 30 years,” Mr. Norris said in a prepared statement. “UT’s Dell Medical School has assembled a team of experts doing innovative MS and neuroimmunology research that will continue to improve the lives of people living with MS today and lead to conquering the disease in the future.”

Get an up-to-the-minute look at the campaign’s progress and make a gift at 40for40.utexas.edu. Follow and post to #UT40for40 to join in.

Graphic courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin.