Colby-Sawyer Raises Record $780,000 During Sixth Annual Day of Giving

Colby-Sawyer College raised more than $780,000 during its sixth annual Day of Giving on Thursday, far surpassing the event’s previous fundraising record set in 2020.

The $780,152 raised over the course of the 24-hour event more than doubles the $371,746 raised during the second rendition of the college’s Day of Giving in 2020. Additionally, Colby-Sawyer exceeded its goal of 1,837 donors — a number that pays homage to the year of the college’s founding — with 1,984 students, alumni, faculty, staff members, trustees and friends making gifts in support initiatives from scholarships to athletics. The previous record of 1,770 donors was set in 2023.

“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support shown during our annual Day of Giving,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “This year, we achieved a record number of donors (exceeding our goal of 1837 in honor of our founding year) and raised the highest dollar amount in our six years of holding this event. We are inspired by our donors’ belief in the college through their philanthropy and meaningful and direct support of our students’ transformative experiences.”

A series of challenges encouraged giving throughout the day and once met, unlocked an additional $185,000 in contributions. These contributions — $35,000 from trustee Sally Shaw Veitch ’66, $50,000 from a local former trustee and $100,000 from William and Sonja Carlson Davidow ’56 — helped maximize the impact of every gift and lift the college to its donor goal shortly before 11 p.m. Giving continued until midnight, with more than 100 individuals making gifts over the final hour of the event.

Support of the college’s athletics programs was a prevalent theme among those who contributed, with 976 individual donations — far beyond the department’s goal of 650 — accumulating a total of $55,246 raised to support either specific teams or the department as a whole. The men’s soccer program attracted the most individual donations with 206, while the baseball team led the Charger in terms of total funds raised at more than $20,867.

“The outpouring of support for Colby-Sawyer during this year’s Day of Giving says so much about the nature of our community and the interest that alumni, families and our neighbors have in the college,” Vice President for College Advancement Dan Parish said. “These investments will immediately impact the student experience by supporting scholarships, our beautiful campus, the work of faculty and Chargers athletics. This level of generosity makes a real difference to a community like ours.”

On campus, dense fog and the occasional rain shower did little to dampen the moods of students, with vendors set up along the dining hall patio distributing popcorn, smoothies, shaved ice and expresso drinks in recognition of the day’s significance.

To learn more about how to support Colby-Sawyer College, visit colby-sawyer.edu/giving or email giving@colby-sawyer.edu.