Brian Hastings

Brian F. Hastings has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Nebraska Foundation since 2012. The foundation is the private, nonprofit organization that raises and stewards philanthropic support for the University of Nebraska system (including UNL, UNMC, UNO and UNK). Under Hastings' leadership, annual fundraising has more than doubled — from roughly $165 million to more than $400 million — and Nebraska now ranks among the top public higher-education institutions in the U.S. for funds received. He has grown the annual donor base from approximately 35,000 to more than 60,000 donors, and the foundation today manages assets of more than $3.9 billion across 11,000+ donor funds, with an endowment ranked among the top 25 of public universities.

Before joining Nebraska, Hastings spent much of his career at The Ohio State University, where he held several senior advancement roles, including senior associate vice president and campaign executive director, assistant vice president for principal gifts, and assistant vice president for development. He began his advancement career at Ohio State as a student caller in the annual giving program. Earlier in his career he also led the annual giving program at the University of Dayton, Ohio's largest private university. His experience spans the full development spectrum, from annual giving through principal gifts.

Hastings is a longtime volunteer leader in the higher-education advancement field. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and chairs its Commission on Philanthropy, and he is a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Council of Foundation Leaders. He received a CASE Distinguished Service Award in 2023.

A first-generation college graduate and lifelong Midwesterner, Hastings resides in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife, Sharon; they have two children.

*Framed accurately for a philanthropic-advancement leader rather than a venture investor:*

• Mission: Raise and steward private philanthropy to advance the University of Nebraska's students, faculty, academic programs, and research — "to address the future needs of the state."
• Flagship effort: Leads the *Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University's Future*, a multiyear campaign (publicly launched 2023, building on work since ~2018) seeking to engage 150,000+ unique benefactors and raise $3 billion.
• Endowment stewardship: Oversees a foundation managing $3.9B+ in assets and 11,000+ donor-designated funds — institutional endowment management, not seed/angel startup investing.
• What earns a "yes": Donor gifts and commitments aligned with university priorities — scholarships and student support, faculty/endowed chairs, academic programs, and research capacity.