“Raising the Red” to New Heights
Belmont Abbey community raises over $388,000 on Giving Tuesday
By: Samantha Donohue, Associate Vice President of College Relations
“Giving Tuesday is about the entire community coming together to lift our philanthropic sights. This year the community went above and beyond – raising the average gift to $218 resulting in a 61% increase in revenue over last year!” – Philip Brach, Vice President of College Relations
Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a National Day of Giving.
Commonly referred to as “Giving Tuesday”, this is an important time for charities to present their greatest needs to their community and for donors to realize their greatest calling to give of their time, talent, and treasure.
Here at Belmont Abbey College on Giving Tuesday, we provide the opportunity for Belmont Abbey community to give to our Greatest Needs Fund which benefits the entire community now and into the future. This fund is used to meet the operational needs of the college that aren’t covered through tuition, including but not limited to emergency repairs, securing faculty members with track records of excellence in their respective fields, refurbishing our 150-year-old Gothic Revival style academic buildings, attracting more students to pursue a liberal arts education and a life of virtue, and providing resources to help more individuals grow in holiness.
This year, through the generosity of the entire Abbey community, $105,440 was raised for the Greatest Needs Fund. This is more than double what was raised last year for the Greatest Needs Fund! Thank you for supporting the Abbey through this tumultuous time and for fueling the Abbey’s mission of providing the best liberal arts education in the Benedictine tradition so that our students may become leaders in society and glorify God in everything that they do.
The Abbey community not only “Raised the Red” for the Greatest Needs Fund, but Belmont Abbey Athletics exceeded its Giving Tuesday expectations by raising $282,560 from 1,647 donors. This is a 50 percent increase over what was raised last year for Abbey Athletics on Giving Tuesday. All twenty-one sports teams increased their participation from last year.
Since 2018, Abbey Athletics has conducted a fundraising competition amongst the Abbey’s sports teams on Giving Tuesday. The teams are competing against each other as well as against how much they raised last year for their individual team. For Giving Tuesday 2021, each student-athlete was encouraged to engage 21 people to give $21 to their team. The team that raised the most support before midnight on December 30 received the grand prize of a food truck party. Men’s soccer won the grand prize this year.
This competition is a wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes to give of their time, talents, and treasure to the coaches and teammates that have invest so much in them.
Each head coach goes through a rigorous process of selecting how they will use the funds to enhance their program. Team Enrichment such as athletic gear, Facility Enhancement such as court benches, Crusader Investment such as team dinners, and Training Expansions such as new bullpens are just a few examples of what the proceeds from Giving Tuesday go towards.
Starting in early November, students, athletes, parents, grandparents, alumni, coaches, corporate sponsors, faculty, and staff rally behind their favorite sports team and watch their team’s fundraising progress at bac.edu/givingtuesday.
To encourage giving and increase the momentum several generous donors initiated matching challenges.
Alum Michael Boyle ’83 initiated the following matching challenges:
- $500 towards Acrobatics & Tumbling Team
- $1,000 towards Wrestling Team
- $500 towards the Men’s and Women’s Bowling Team
Alum John Berger ’94 initiated a $1,000 matching challenge for the Men’s and Women’s Golf Team.
Two matching challenges were made for the BAC Athletics Department:
- $2,500 from Dr. and Mrs. Kuhlman
- $1,000 from Stephen Miss
To honor our athletic donors and build new traditions, we launched two new giving levels on Giving Tuesday. When you give a gift of $25 or more you join the Crusaders Club, a group of supporters dedicated to the success of the Belmont Abbey College Athletics. Crusaders Club members received a custom window decal and thunder sticks to show your school spirit and cheer on your favorite Abbey team! We welcomed 1,488 donors to the Crusaders Club on Giving Tuesday.
When you make a gift $1,000 or more, or make a monthly gift to the Athletics program you join the Champions Club. Champions Club members received a limited-edition sports jacket complete with your Champions Club member patch. Additional benefits for the Champions Club includes custom content from our Sports & Virtue Institute, discounts at our sponsor establishments, and much more. 66 donors joined the exclusive Champions Club on Giving Tuesday.
“On behalf of Abbey Athletics, it is a privilege to say, ‘Thank you!’ to each and every one of our Giving Tuesday donors! We are ineffably grateful for and humbled by your seemingly boundless generosity, Crusader Nation! You not only enable our success in innumerable ways but you inspire us to “Raise the Red!” – Stephen Miss, Director of Athletics
Thank you for going all in #FortheRed this Giving Tuesday!