University of South Carolina tops fundraising with $357.6 million, boosted by McNair family gifts
The University of South Carolina reported a record $357.6 million in private donations for fiscal year 2026, nearly $100 million above the prior year, thanks in large part to a $25 million contribution from the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation.
The University of South Carolina announced that private donations reached a historic $357.6 million in fiscal year 2026, eclipsing the previous record of $259.7 million set just a year earlier. This unprecedented haul was fueled by a series of large gifts, highlighted by a $25 million pledge from the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation, which together with earlier contributions totals at least $81 million since the foundation’s inception in 1998.
The McNairs, alumni and former Houston Texans owners, established the merit-based McNair Scholars program for top out-of-state students and funded the McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise, among other initiatives. Janice McNair died on July 14, 2026; her husband Robert, a 1958 graduate, continues the philanthropic partnership. While the foundation has not specified the exact use of the latest $25 million, the donation underscores the McNair family’s long-standing commitment to education and research. The record-setting fundraising places USC among a handful of universities that saw similar spikes in private giving in 2025-2026.
Why it matters
The influx of private money dramatically expands USC's capacity for scholarships and research, affecting thousands of students and faculty.
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