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$60 Million Gift Aims to Turbocharge Fresno Pacific Scholarships, Nursing, and Athletics
Image of GV Wire news director and columnist Bill McEwen
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 25 minutes ago on
September 15, 2026

Officials and students at Fresno Pacific University celebrate a $60 million gift from an anonymous donor announced Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (Courtesy of Fresno Pacific)

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Officials and students at Fresno Pacific University are celebrating a $60 million gift from an anonymous donor announced Monday.

The gift will provide funding for scholarships, new and expanded academic programs in nursing and other health care fields, and a new track and field facility, university officials said.

“This is truly a transformational moment in the history of Fresno Pacific University,” said FPU President André Stephens in a news release. “This extraordinary generosity will create opportunities for generations of students and strengthen our ability to serve the Central Valley in ways that will be felt far beyond our campuses. We are deeply grateful for the donor’s belief in our students, our mission and the future of Fresno Pacific.”

Though choosing to remain anonymous, the donor provided a statement to the university for public release.

“I want this gift to create opportunities for students for many years to come,” the donor said. “My hope is that it will help students pursue their education, strengthen healthcare here in the Valley and give student-athletes the opportunity to excel in competition, in the classroom and in their faith.”

Fresno Pacific Has 3,000 Students

Fresno Pacific is a private Christian university with about 3,000 students. It was founded in 1944 by the Mennonite Brethren Church.

The university’s main campus is in southeast Fresno, with regional campuses in north Fresno and Visalia, as well as partner sites in Bakersfield and Merced.

Fresno Pacific’s learning environment ranks among the top 7% in the nation, according to Time magazine.

In addition to scholarships, some of the $60 million will support capital projects, including facilities to train health care professionals and improvements for the university’s track and field program, the university said.

Fresno Pacific also said it anticipates launching a physician associate program in May 2029.

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Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at bmcewen@gvwire.com
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