UT Wine Initiative

Who We Are

The UT-Austin Wine Initiative (UTWI) fosters education, research and entrepreneurship in partnership with the Texas wine industry. Our goal is to support undergraduate research experiences in the field of wine chemistry, enology, and viticulture of Texas wines. Through this partnership, UT students will contribute to novel regional knowledge, which will be used to support the development of innovative strategies to advance Texas viticulture and enology.

What We're Fundraising For

Texas is one of the oldest and major wine producing states in the USA. Texas weather drastically influences the composition and quality of wine, which distinctive high quality is attributed despite the drastic growing conditions during the summer. However, there is no research precedent on the relationships between grapevine-berry-wine composition and the environmental conditions in Texas over the course of a growing season.

UTWI undergraduate researchers will undercover the genomics, proteomics and metabolomics in Texas grapevines and wines, as a means to internationally support its quality and reputation, as appropriate. Students will acquire valuable research skills enhancing their experiential learning at UT-Austin. Your donation will help to sponsor FIVE Student Scholarships.

Your Impact

Recently, prestigious members of the Wine Community opened their doors to UT students and faculty providing new opportunities for collaborative research to support their experiential learning. Enjoying the beauty of the vineyard fields, students collected hundreds of grapevine leaves and grape samples corresponding to seventeen varietals such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Lenoir, Sangiovese, amongst others from five vineyards across Central Texas including Fall Creek, Salt Lick, Spicewood, Certenberg and Mesa. Future steps involve the chemical analysis of grapevines and wine to discover compounds associated with health benefits. Students need your support to uncover the chemical signatures that make Texas wine unique. Your donation will help to sponsor FIVE Student Scholarships.

Leaderboard

Surprise Sticker Challenge

SURPRISE! From 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Central you can help win up to $1,000 for your favorite area of UT, and all donors who give during this time will receive a cool UT sticker. The two colleges, schools, units and organizations who receive the greatest number of unique gifts will receive the following prizes: 1st place: $1,000 2nd place: $500

Rank	Prize	Department	Gifts
1	$1,000	Texas Women's Rugby	73
2	$500	Texas Taekwondo	61
3		UT Sailing Team	52
4		Texas Orange Jackets	25
5		TX Votes	23
6		The University of Texas at Austin	19
7		McCombs School of Business	15
8		Cockrell School of Engineering	13
9		The University of Texas Weightlifting team	11
10		Dell Medical School	10
11		College of Fine Arts	10
12		Jackson School of Geosciences	9
13		School of Law	9
14		LGBTQ Studies	9
15		College of Education	9

Ended

Leaderboard

University-Wide Leaderboard Dollars

College, school, unit, or organization with the highest amount of dollars raised will be shown on a leaderboard for bragging rights only

Rank	University-Wide Leaderboard Dollars	Raised
1	Dell Medical School	$4,380,096.00
2	Cockrell School of Engineering	$1,037,665.00
3	College of Liberal Arts	$914,605.04
4	College of Pharmacy	$660,020.00
5	Texas Exes	$458,669.00
6	The University of Texas at Austin	$288,325.50
7	Division of Diversity and Community Engagement	$277,957.00
8	LBJ School of Public Affairs	$213,693.47
9	College of Fine Arts	$196,832.00
10	College of Natural Sciences	$168,954.00
11	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center	$125,017.40
12	McCombs School of Business	$79,778.00
13	Harry Ransom Center	$49,056.00
14	Texas 4000 For Cancer	$41,607.01
15	Jackson School of Geosciences	$37,240.00

Ended

Success!

US State Challenge

Keep an eye on the main page’s donation heat map! The first donor from each state will win an additional $100 toward their designation. The donor’s residence state will be determined by the donor heat map function of the giving day website and the credit card billing address.March 30 at 6:00 AM CT until March 31 at 10:00 PM CT - $100 per state, $5,000 total

Completed

Leaderboard

Longhorn Lunch Special Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units, and organizations that receive the greatest dollar amount on March 30 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT 1st place will receive $1,500 2nd place will receive $750 3rd place will receive $250

Rank	Prize	Longhorn Lunch Special Challenge	Raised
1	$1,500	College of Natural Sciences	$7,925.00
2	$750	Texas Exes	$7,035.00
3	$250	McCombs School of Business	$2,530.00
4		Jackson School of Geosciences	$2,525.00
5		School of Law	$1,950.00
6		University of Texas Libraries	$1,710.00
7		College of Liberal Arts	$1,665.00
8		Moody College of Communication	$1,435.00
9		Texas 4000 For Cancer	$1,406.40
10		Dell Medical School	$1,350.00
11		Harry Ransom Center	$1,350.00
12		College of Pharmacy	$1,350.00
13		Black Studies at UT Austin	$1,265.00
14		McDonald Observatory	$1,200.00
15		Dean's Scholars Student Association	$1,185.00

Ended

Match

Student Study Break Match

The first $2,500 in gifts made by currently enrolled UT students will receive a match. Any gift of $25 or less will be matched until the total to be awarded, $2,500, is exhausted. March 30 from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM CT – $2,500 match for gifts up to $25

$2,500 MATCHED

Completed

Leaderboard

All-Nighter Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units and organizations that receive the greatest number of gifts between March 30 from 8:00 PM – March 31, 7:00 AM CT will receive an additional award. 1st place will receive $1,500 2nd place will receive $750 3rd place will receive $250

Rank	Prize	Department	Gifts
1	$1,500	Texas 4000 For Cancer	902
2	$750	Texas Women's Rugby	648
3	$250	Morgantina Excavations	231
4		Liberal Arts Council	128
5		Texas Water Ski	109
6		Texas Orange Jackets	43
7		Longhorn Racing	34
8		Texas Exes	28
9		McCombs School of Business	27
10		Longhorn Band Student Association	22
11		The University of Texas at Austin	21
12		Texas Trap and Skeet	20
13		Cockrell School of Engineering	19
14		The DDCE First Generation	19
15		College of Natural Sciences	18

Ended

Success!

40 for Forty Video Contest

The college, school, unit, or organization that has the best video as decided by the 40 for Forty Committee included in their 40 for Forty application submitted by February 7, 2021, will receive an additional $1,000. The award designation will be determined by the receiving college, school, unit, or organization. Deadline: March 7 at 11:59 CT - $1,000 designation

Completed

Match

Faculty & Staff Big Give Match

The first $10,000 in gifts will receive a match between March 31 from 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM CT. Gifts of any size will be matched until the total to be awarded, $10,000, is exhausted. March 31 from 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM CT - $10,000 (no gift limit)

$10,000 MATCHED

Completed

$500

5,000th Gift Milestone Award

Liberal Arts Council is the winner of $500 for the 5,000 Gift Milestone Award.

4,007 / 4,007 Gifts

Completed

$500

7,000th Gift Milestone Award

Dean's Scholars Student Association is the winner of $500 for the 7,000 Gift Milestone Award.

6,007 / 6,007 Gifts

Completed

$500

9,000th Gift Milestone Award

UT Child Development Center San Jacinto is the winner of $500 for the 9,000 Gift Milestone Award.

8,007 / 8,007 Gifts

Completed

Success!

Faculty & Staff Pre-Campaign Match

Faculty & Staff Pre-Campaign Match – The first $10,000 in payroll deduction pledges, made by UT Austin faculty and staff, between February 1 – August 31 will be matched based upon amount pledge between the first day pledged and August 31, 2021. There is no maximum individual donation amount for this opportunity. Feb 1 – August 31 (until funds are exhausted) - $10,000 (no gift limit)

Completed

Leaderboard

University-Wide Leaderboard: Greatest Number of Gifts Received

College, school, unit, or organization with the greatest number of gifts will be shown on a leaderboard for bragging rights only.

Rank	University-Wide Leaderboard 2	Gifts
1	Texas Women's Rugby	1,891
2	Texas 4000 For Cancer	1,570
3	Texas Orange Jackets	686
4	Morgantina Excavations	683
5	UT Child Development Center San Jacinto	307
6	McCombs School of Business	304
7	Liberal Arts Council	257
8	The University of Texas at Austin	249
9	Texas Exes Chapters and Networks	247
10	Texas Exes	229
11	Cockrell School of Engineering	204
12	UT Sailing Team	200
13	College of Natural Sciences	178
14	University of Texas Libraries	169
15	Steve Hicks School of Social Work	161

Ended

Success!

International Challenge

The first donor from each continent will win an additional $250 toward their designation. Donor’s residence country will be determined by the donor heat map function of giving day website and the credit card billing address. March 30 at 6:00 AM CT until March 31 at 10:00 PM CT - $250 per continent, $1,750 total

Completed

Leaderboard

Kick Off Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units and organizations that receive the greatest number of gifts between March 30 from 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM CT will receive an additional award. 1st place will receive $1,500 2nd place will receive $750 3rd place will receive $250

Rank	Prize	Kick Off Challenge	Gifts
1	$1,500	Morgantina Excavations	62
2	$750	Texas 4000 For Cancer	54
3	$250	Steve Hicks School of Social Work	42
4		Texas Orange Jackets	41
5		TX Votes	14
6		Texas Women's Rugby	11
7		Jackson School of Geosciences	10
8		College of Natural Sciences	9
9		Dean's Scholars Student Association	7
10		University of Texas Libraries	7
11		The University of Texas Weightlifting team	6
12		Texas Exes Chapters and Networks	6
13		McCombs School of Business	5
14		The University of Texas at Austin	5
15		Texas Crew	4

Ended

Leaderboard

Happy Horns Happy Hour Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units and organizations that receive the greatest number of gifts between March 30 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM CT will receive an additional award. 1st place will receive $1,500 2nd place will receive $750 3rd place will receive $250

Rank	Prize	Happy Horns Happy Hour Challenge	Gifts
1	$1,500	Texas Orange Jackets	250
2	$750	Texas Women's Rugby	220
3	$250	Texas 4000 For Cancer	145
4		Texas Crew	76
5		Texas Trap and Skeet	51
6		The University of Texas at Austin	12
7		School of Law	12
8		Morgantina Excavations	12
9		Texas Exes	11
10		McCombs School of Business	9
11		Steve Hicks School of Social Work	9
12		University of Texas Libraries	8
13		UT Sailing Team	8
14		Liberal Arts Council	8
15		Cockrell School of Engineering	7

Ended

Leaderboard

Hungry Bevo Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units and organizations that receive the greatest number of gifts on March 31 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT. 1st place - $1,500 2nd place - $750 3rd place - $250

Rank	Prize	Hungry Bevo Challenge	Gifts
1	$1,500	Texas Women's Rugby	400
2	$750	UT Child Development Center San Jacinto	291
3	$250	Texas Orange Jackets	211
4		Texas 4000 For Cancer	127
5		Morgantina Excavations	122
6		Texas Trap and Skeet	36
7		Texas Crew	33
8		McCombs School of Business	17
9		Liberal Arts Council	16
10		Dean's Scholars Student Association	14
11		Jackson School of Geosciences	13
12		Cockrell School of Engineering	12
13		College of Liberal Arts	10
14		Texas Athletics	9
15		Texas Ballroom	9

Ended

Match

Longhorn Parent Lunch Match

The first $5,000 in gifts made within this period by parents of currently enrolled UT students will receive a match. Any gift of $250 or less will be matched until the total to be awarded, $5,000, is exhausted. Constituent classification will be determined by self-selection at check-out and will be verified by the 40 for Forty Committee. All awards will be tentative until constituent identity can be verified. March 31 from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM CT – $5,000 match for gifts up to $250

$5,000 MATCHED

Completed

Match

2021 Class Gift Match

All gifts made by newly graduated and current UT Austin underclassmen and graduate students scheduled to graduate in 2021 will be matched until the total to be awarded, $50,000, is exhausted.6 AM March 30 – 10 PM March 31 CT (until funds are exhausted) – $50,000 (no gift limit)

$34,788 MATCHED

Ended

Leaderboard

Final Countdown Challenge

The top 3 colleges, schools, units and organizations that receive the greatest number of gifts between March 30 from 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM CT will receive an additional award. 1st place will receive $1,500 2nd place will receive $750 3rd place will receive $250

Rank	Prize	Final Countdown Challenge	Gifts
1	$1,500	Texas Women's Rugby	276
2	$750	Texas Exes Chapters and Networks	103
3	$750	UT Sailing Team	103
4		Morgantina Excavations	92
5		Texas 4000 For Cancer	59
6		Texas Orange Jackets	52
7		McCombs School of Business	33
8		The University of Texas at Austin	30
9		Liberal Arts Council	24
10		UT Student Emergency Fund	20
11		College of Liberal Arts	19
12		National Society of Black Engineers	19
13		College of Natural Sciences	16
14		Cockrell School of Engineering	16
15		School of Law	15

Ended

$500

6,000th Gift Milestone Award

Morgantina Excavations is the winner of $599 for the 6,000 Milestone Award.

5,007 / 5,007 Gifts

Completed

$500

8,000th Gift Gift Milestone Award

School Of Human Ecology is the winner of the 8,000 Gift Milestone Award.

7,007 / 7,007 Gifts

Completed

$1,000

10,000th Gift Milestone Award

Department of Psychology is the winner of $1,000 for the 10,000 Gift Milestone Award.

9,007 / 9,007 Gifts

Completed

Participating Groups

Advocacy & Social Causes Arts & Design Athletics & Sport Clubs Business & Entrepreneurship Colleges & Schools Communication & Media Departments & Programs Diverse Longhorn Leaders Education Humanities & Languages Medical & Healthcare Museums & Libraries Science, Technology & Engineering Student Organizations Student Support Texas Exes 2021 Class Gift

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Questions? See our FAQ.

Or you can contact us at annual.giving@austin.utexas.edu.

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