UCF announced on Feb. 21, the public launch of Go For Launch: The Campaign for UCF’s Next Mission, a bold, $3.5 billion comprehensive campaign designed to accelerate discovery, expand opportunity and position UCF to lead Florida and the nation into the next era of impact.
Spanning multiple years, Go For Launch is the most ambitious revenue-generating effort in UCF’s history. The campaign builds on decades of momentum and reflects a clear-eyed understanding of what it will take for a modern, metropolitan research university to deliver at the scale the future demands.
Founded to power America’s space race, UCF has always been an institution built for moments of possibility. Go For Launch draws directly from that legacy, reaffirming UCF’s role as Florida’s Technological University and calling on Knights, partners and visionaries to help shape what comes next.
Campaign Goals and Timeline
The Go For Launch campaign seeks to generate $3.5 billion over a multi-year period through philanthropy, partnerships and aligned revenue strategies, advancing priorities that will shape UCF’s trajectory for decades. Funds will fuel innovation across the university, from breakthrough research and talent development to infrastructure and partnerships that extend UCF’s impact far beyond campus.
The campaign follows a successful pre-launch phase that quietly engaged donors, volunteers and community partners around a shared vision. As of Feb. 21, UCF has secured more than $2 billion in early commitments from individuals, families and partners who believe in the university’s bold future.
“This campaign is about matching UCF’s ambition with the resources required to deliver on it,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “It is an investment in discovery, talent and solutions that will shape Florida’s future and improve lives far beyond our campus.”
Four Pillars Driving a Transformational Vision
Go For Launch is anchored by four integrated campaign pillars, each essential to UCF’s ability to deliver impact at scale.
Elevating Student Success
Elevating Student Success ensures every Knight has the support, resources and opportunities to thrive, from enrollment through graduation and beyond. Campaign investments will expand scholarships, strengthen proactive advising and success coaching, enhance career preparation and sustain innovative support systems that remove barriers before they derail progress. This pillar reflects UCF’s commitment to access and outcomes, preparing graduates who are confident, career-ready and equipped to lead in a rapidly changing world.
Fueling Discovery and Innovation
Fueling Discovery and Innovation accelerates UCF’s role as a driver of breakthrough research and real-world solutions. Support will advance faculty-led research, interdisciplinary collaboration and student-driven discovery across areas such as space, cybersecurity, health, energy and advanced technologies. With strong industry partnerships, a thriving research ecosystem and a culture of commercialization, UCF is poised to move ideas faster from lab to impact, creating jobs, improving lives and addressing the world’s most urgent challenges.
Advancing Future Frontiers
Advancing Future Frontiers positions UCF at the forefront of what’s next, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, space exploration, immersive technologies and aerospace medicine. Commitments will support research infrastructure, interdisciplinary institutes and bold experimentation that push beyond today’s limits and shape tomorrow’s industries. As technology and humanity converge, UCF is not waiting for the future to arrive. The university is actively inventing it, translating discovery into global impact and economic vitality.
Maximizing Competitive Excellence
Maximizing Competitive Excellence positions UCF to compete and win at the highest levels nationally. Campaign investments will strengthen faculty recruitment and retention, expand university-wide technology integration, enhance athletics and academic competitiveness, and continue building a destination campus that attracts top talent, industry partners and research opportunities. As Florida’s Next-Generation Preeminent Research University, UCF is focused on translating ambition into sustained performance, elevating our standing, sharpening our edges and ensuring excellence is not episodic but institutionalized.
Why This Campaign and Why Now
Go For Launch represents a clear evolution from UCF’s prior comprehensive campaigns, with specific focus on directly addressing the rising complexity and cost of delivering a world-class education and research enterprise. It recognizes that sustained excellence requires continued investment in people, ideas and infrastructure.
“Go For Launch will bring our university community together around our boldest aspirations,” says Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO, UCF Foundation Inc. “It will empower students, support faculty excellence, fuel innovation that strengthens our region and maximize competitive excellence. This campaign reflects our shared belief in what is possible and our commitment to creating a brighter future for generations to come.”
A Launch Worth Celebrating
The public phase of Go For Launch was unveiled at campuswide launch events that brought together thousands of alumni, donors, faculty, students and community leaders. The immersive experience reflected the campaign’s spirit, featuring interactive installations, storytelling and moments that highlighted UCF’s impact across research, innovation and student success.
Campaign volunteer leadership was celebrated during the event, underscoring the personal commitment many leaders feel toward UCF’s mission and future.
Impact in Action
Investments generated through Go For Launch will directly advance research with real-world consequences, from improving health outcomes to accelerating breakthroughs in assistive technologies.
Go For Launch is both a continuation of UCF’s founding mission and a declaration of where the university is headed next. It signals confidence in UCF’s people, our ideas and our ability to lead.
To learn more about Go For Launch or to get involved, visit Go For Launch.
