U of T extends David Palmer’s term as vice-president, advancement

David Palmer, who has served as the University of Toronto’s vice-president, advancement for nearly two decades, will lead U of T’s fundraising and alumni engagement for an additional two years.

The university’s Governing Council recently approved an extension of Palmer’s ongoing fourth term – originally slated to wrap up at the end of 2025 – to Dec. 31, 2027.

U of T President Meric Gertler says those consulted as part of the appointment process highlighted Palmer’s many achievements on behalf of the institution and its community members.  

“David’s visionary and strategic leadership has strengthened the University of Toronto’s teaching and research missions, enhanced access for all qualified students, and engaged alumni and donors who are keen to make a lasting impact,” said President Gertler.

“It has been an honour to work with David and I am pleased that U of T’s next president will be able to count on his expertise and experience as the university embarks on the next phase of its fundraising ambitions.”

Palmer has served as U of T’s vice-president, advancement since 2007. He led the Boundless campaign that wrapped up in 2018 – then the largest fundraising campaign in Canadian history – and the subsequent launch of the current Defy Gravity campaign, which has already secured more than $2 billion in funds and surpassed the 75 per cent mark on its alumni engagement goal.

He said one of the keys to the success of the current campaign is a framework deeply grounded in the university’s values of teaching and research excellence, accessibility, inclusion, and the incredible breadth and depth of its academic aspirations for leadership and impact.

“No other leading university in the world today can match our commitment to these foundational values, at our scale and at our level of diversity as an institution both rooted in and reflecting perhaps the world’s most diverse city-region,” Palmer said. “As a result, it is fair to say that U of T is Canada’s largest engine of social progress and mobility – a powerfully compelling and differentiating description of the difference our collective community makes in the world today.

“People give to create change – beneficial change on the issues that matter the most to them. And, as issues become more severe and accelerate, the university’s role as a source of knowledge, talent, innovation and evidence-based solutions becomes ever more important. 

“I think that’s why so many philanthropists and alumni around the world have intensified their investment in and engagement with our university.”

Palmer pointed to landmark examples such as the Orlando Corporation and Garron family gifts to support the new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health, which will train medical professionals for the underserved populations of Scarborough and the eastern GTA. He described it as a perfect example of philanthropy at U of T advancing key academic priorities while enhancing contributions to vulnerable communities.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate at U of T that we’re one of the few institutions in Canada – and globally – that is able to receive and deploy the billions of dollars entrusted to us by our alumni and supporters, from modest annual gifts to the very largest gifts ever committed in Canadian history, and achieve an impact commensurate with the scale of those investments, with the extraordinary excellence of our research, and with the enormous global footprint of our community,” he said.

He also noted endowments for student support have now reached $1.6 billion, unlocking life-changing opportunities for tens of thousands of students. They include Naturinda Emmanuel, a graduate student at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health who is on his way to realizing his ambition to become a health leader with help from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative.

“The transformative nature of the opportunities afforded our students – enabled by past and current generations of donors and alumni – is a powerful source of inspiration for us all,” he said.

Palmer pointed out that alumni, friends, foundations and corporations have responded at record levels of generosity and engagement despite the buffeting headwinds of a global pandemic, a volatile economy and geopolitical conflict. “They have done so inspired by their confidence in the university’s leadership and mission and its potential for outsized impact on today’s most pressing challenges,” he said.

He added that the Defy Gravity campaign’s success – it achieved the milestone of $2 billion in half the time required to reach that threshold during the previous Boundless campaign – has a ripple effect beyond the U of T community. 

“Campaigns such as Defy Gravity, and the generous gifts that empower them, create a rising tide of generosity and giving across the country, raising the sights of both institutions and donors alike,” he said. “Through this campaign, we are having a beneficial impact on local, national and international communities.”

Palmer highlighted the “pleasure and privilege” of working with the many talented advancement and academic leaders at the university. “Defy Gravity’s success rests on their shoulders: the brilliant ideas and aspirations of our academic leaders – advanced by the thoughtful and effective engagement strategies of their advancement partners – create the ideal conditions for philanthropy to flourish,” he said.

Going forward, Palmer said he’s confident in the success of both the campaign and the university.

“If we’ve learned anything through the major crises we’ve faced in the midst of our current and recent campaigns, it’s that philanthropy and engagement at U of T are remarkably resilient,” he said.

“Our worldwide community of 700,000-plus alumni and friends recognizes that the brilliant ideas and talent generated here, our guiding values of excellence and accessibility, our commitment to open inquiry and shared learning – these are the building blocks of progress, stability, peace, and prosperity, powerfully shaping Canada’s future and the world around us.”