University of Maryland Achieves Record Number of Donors on Annual Giving Day

The University of Maryland community raised $1,254,906 from 7,756 total gifts during the fifth annual Giving Day on March 7. Students and parents, faculty and staff, campus organizations and alumni all came together as Terps to commemorate the 24-hour giving challenge.

Throughout the day, donations were made in support of schools and colleges, athletics, libraries, performing arts, as well as Greek and student organizations.

“The character of an institution is shaped by what its individual members do,” said University of Maryland President, Wallace D. Loh. “Every day, each of us​ makes a commitment to our University. I deeply appreciate these efforts, especially on days like Giving Day when we all have the chance to show our UMD pride.”

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences led the donations with $299,433 raised, followed by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences with $132,567, and Athletics with $62,855. To encourage activity and provide an incentive, hourly challenges to receive matching gifts were expanded this year. The funds for these challenges were pledged by Michael and Debbie Schwab & Family, the Clarvit family, Alma '53 and Joe '51 Gildenhorn, the College of Education’s Board of Visitors, Steve Leonard '78, Robert Satterfield '95, the Parent and Family Advisory Council, Ranjana and Ashok V. Kulkarni Ph.D. '76, Craig S. Spangler '82, Tim and Joanne Regan, Rose and Bob Cohen and Robert Infantino and Doris Campos-Infantino.

In the weeks leading up to Giving Day, the university challenged the entire Terp community to locate Testudo who was hiding in several secret locations on campus. Hundreds responded and shared photo submissions of themselves holding a “flat Testudo” cutout. Photos with lifesize Testudo were also taken at the first ever Giving Day Party at TERPRIDE outside of Stamp Student Union, view them all here.

Since its launch in 2013, UMD’s day of giving has raised more than $4,427,680 receiving 20,140 total gifts from the University community.