BU Giving Day Raises Nearly $3 Million
Photos courtesy of Development & Alumni Relations
BU Giving Day Raises Nearly $3 Million
More than 8,000 University community members gave to support a range of programs and departments
On April 7, the BU community came together online for the University’s seventh annual Giving Day—raising more than $2.96 million for causes and programs across the University. This was the first Giving Day since 2019: last year’s was canceled by the pandemic.
This year’s events brought gifts from 8,802 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends, from 49 states and 45 countries. All told, they supported more than 420 areas at BU, from schools and colleges to athletics, student life, and more.
“Giving Day was unique this year because it took place entirely online,” says Scott Graham, executive director of annual giving, “but you could still feel the energy as the gifts mounted throughout the day.”
Challenges from more than 275 generous donors added to the excitement, as donors could make a gift to help their favorite causes earn a share of $600,000 in prize money. Among the highlights:
- New this year was the addition of featured funds, focusing on BU points of pride from the past year. The six funds–General Scholarship, the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, the Community Service Center, the Student Life Emergency Fund, Infectious Disease Research, the Center for Antiracist Research, and BU Diversity & Inclusion—together raised over $100,000 from 772 donors.
- The student club Hearts for the Homeless captured first place in the Student Clubs and Orgs challenge, earning an additional $1,000 for its cause. Stage Troupe and Rocket Propulsion Group finished second and third in this year’s competition.
- College of Arts & Sciences departments vied for a share of $20,000 in a “most improved” challenge. The top four were Anthropology ($10,000), History ($5,000), the Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies ($3,000), and African American Studies ($2,000).
- The School of Law had a record-breaking day on the revenue side, with a total of more than $267,000 raised from 318 donors.
BU Athletics broke the $1 million mark for the fourth year in a row, closing the day with more than $1.1 million in gifts. Varsity teams competed in one-on-one matchups with $2,000 at stake for each one. Find the amount each team raised here.
“Giving Day is always so rewarding, because it lets our alumni and friends express their support for the causes they care about most,” says Kristen Atwood, director of annual giving. “It’s wonderful that so many Terriers feel a genuine connection to BU and know that their participation will make a real difference, because every penny they give goes to the fund they choose.”
All gifts made on April 7 (midnight to midnight, PDT) counted toward the Giving Day total. Anyone who missed the midnight deadline can still make a gift, at bu.edu/give.
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