Case Western Reserve University has launched Breakthrough Point, a $2.5 billion philanthropic campaign, the university’s most ambitious fundraising initiative in its 200-year history.
The university unveiled the campaign during the October 21 opening of its new interdisciplinary research building, named the Roger E. Susi Interdisciplinary Research Building after a $50 million gift from Roger and Kayoko Susi.
Breakthrough Point is organized around three primary areas: preparing future leaders, accelerating innovation and research, and advancing health and well-being. The university said the campaign will support students, faculty, research programs, infrastructure, scholarships, and new initiatives as Case Western Reserve begins its third century.
Of the $2.5 billion target, Case Western Reserve plans to raise $700 million for programs and new initiatives, $500 million for research, $400 million for capital projects, $375 million for faculty support, $325 million for graduate scholarships, and $200 million for undergraduate scholarships.
The campaign has already received several major commitments. Earlier in 2026, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation announced a combined $125 million gift. The university described it as the largest gift in the foundations’ histories and believed to be the largest contribution ever made to higher education in Ohio.
That funding will expand Case Western Reserve’s Experimental Humanities program, establish the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Building, double scholarship endowment capacity at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and establish the Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair.
The Susi Building will support interdisciplinary research in electrochemical engineering and energy science, advanced materials and manufacturing, molecular therapeutics, precision diagnostics and therapeutics, neurotechnology and neurorobotics, and climate and ecosystem science.
Breakthrough Point will also expand experiential learning opportunities, support faculty and research mentors, increase access to scholarships and fellowships, advance human-centered technology, and fund research connecting health and technology.
Case Western Reserve’s previous campaign, Forward Thinking, concluded in 2019 after raising $1.82 billion. That effort funded 98 endowed professorships, increased scholarship support by nearly $254 million, and supported major campus projects including the Health Education Campus with Cleveland Clinic and the Maltz Performing Arts Center.
KEY QUOTES:
“The timing of this campaign is intentional. It capitalizes on our remarkable momentum and will accelerate our growth and impact as one of the country’s leading research institutions. Our $2.5 billion goal is ambitious. And we are primed to achieve it, driven by our 200-year history of a bias for action and fueled by a collaborative university community that is innovative, future-focused and results-driven.”
Eric W. Kaler, President And Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair Of Case Western Reserve University
“This is an extremely important time at Case Western Reserve. And we can move this university forward for generations to come—particularly as it relates to research, infrastructure and talent.”
Fred DiSanto, Co-Chair Of The Breakthrough Point Campaign
“This building has the potential to create groundbreaking, significant advances—some of which may be supported by the Breakthrough Point campaign.”
Roger E. Susi
“This grant represents a commitment to the present and future of the university, and an investment in the leaders it develops whose meaningful advances will improve our city and our society.”
Jehuda Reinharz, President And CEO Of The Jack, Joseph And Morton Mandel Foundation
“The Mandel Foundation’s investment in Case Western Reserve reflects our continued belief in the increasing value and importance of higher education, particularly in the humanities. It represents our confidence in President Kaler’s leadership and vision as well as the remarkable momentum of this university as it celebrates its bicentennial.”
Stephen Hoffman, Board Chair Of The Jack, Joseph And Morton Mandel Foundation
“This campaign is about our community coming together and making a commitment to support the people on this campus doing incredible things. The faculty, researchers and students—backed by support from partners like the Mandel Foundation and Roger and Kayoko—can have an impact on the world around us.”
Carol Moss, Senior Vice President Of University Relations And Development At Case Western Reserve University
