Brian F. Hastings has been president and chief executive officer of the University of Nebraska Foundation since 2012.
Under Hastings’ leadership, the foundation has achieved record levels of fundraising, including a record $388.8 million in new funds committed in 2023-2024. Nebraska regularly ranks among the top 20 U.S. public higher education institutions for funds received. The number of annual donors has steadily increased during Hastings’ tenure as well. Bucking industry trends, Nebraska has grown its annual donor base from roughly 35,000 donors a year to almost 60,000 per year.
In 2022, the University of Nebraska publicly announced Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future with a goal to engage 150,000 unique benefactors to raise $3 billion.
Hastings has broad experience, ranging from annual giving to principal gifts, including various senior leadership roles. Prior to joining the University of Nebraska Foundation, he served at The Ohio State University, as senior associate vice president and campaign executive director, assistant vice president for principal gifts and assistant vice president for development. Additionally, Hastings previously led the annual giving program at the University of Dayton, Ohio’s largest private university. He is proud of having started his university advancement career as a student caller at Ohio State.
Hastings is a longtime volunteer and leader with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He serves on the CASE Board of Trustees and is chair of its Commission on Philanthropy. Previously, he was a member of the U.S./Canada Regional Council, the District VI Cabinet and the National Committee on College and University Foundations. He has been a faculty member for numerous CASE conferences and institutes and co-chaired the group that updated the global reporting standards for the profession in 2021. He received a Distinguished Service Award in 2023 in recognition of his service to CASE and District VI. Hastings is also a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) Council of Foundation Leaders.
Hastings is a first-generation college graduate and lifelong Midwesterner. He and his wife, Sharon, have two children and reside in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Last updated in December 2024
