Tommie Give Day on Nov. 12 was historic in multiple ways. It was the 10th anniversary of the university’s day of giving, and support from 3,167 donors across the nation raised $3,985,555, a new record that crushed last year’s record of $3.3 million.
Alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends united to support scholarships and resources that empower the next generation of leaders who will continue to advance the common good.
Fueled by the community’s enthusiasm, several matching challenges – including Board of Trustees and Friends Matches, the Class-Year Challenge, Tommie Parent Impact Challenges, and other college, school and department challenges – amplified the impact of every gift.
Board of Trustee members and other leadership donors generously contributed a record $1.4 million in matching funds to encourage giving throughout the day.
By the end of the day, each class from 1958 to 2024 recorded at least one gift, unlocking the Class-Year Challenge funds.
Although alumni were the most represented donor type, they were followed by 842 parents/grandparents who helped achieve multiple Tommie Parent Impact Challenges.
Tommie Give Day photo gallery
“This year’s Tommie Give Day is a shining testament to the collective spirit of this vibrant and caring campus community and the transformative support and generosity of our alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends,” said Jennifer O’Brien, St. Thomas director of annual giving. “We are absolutely inspired by the commitment this St. Thomas family has for one another and to supporting access to a St. Thomas education.”
St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses marked the day with community-building activities and expressions of gratitude for donor generosity. Students in Minneapolis wrote notes of thanks, folded the notes into airplanes and staged a toss into the Terrence Murphy Hall atrium after getting pumped up by Dougherty Family College Dean Buffy Smith and a countdown that acknowledged 10 years of give days.
Meanwhile, in St. Paul, students posted gratitude notes on giant gift boxes and took selfies with the Tommie mascot. U.S. Bank partnered with the university to engage students with treats and trivia during convocation hour, while cookies from Love You Cookie, a business co-founded by alumnus Sahr Brima ’11 and his wife, Sarah, added a sweet touch to the celebrations.
The 10th annual day of giving offered a special way to extend the generosity beyond St. Thomas: Those who made gifts of $100 or more qualified for a St. Thomas backpack to keep or to gift, benefiting students at St. Thomas School of Education’s collaborative learning partners in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, Maxfield Elementary and St. Peter Claver Catholic School, as well as other partnering programs. More than 500 backpacks were gifted forward.
“I can’t wait to see the St. Thomas backpacks around!” O’Brien said.
Tommie Give Day underscores the power of the Tommie Network to come together and make a lasting impact. This annual fundraising tradition continues to be a cornerstone of the St. Thomas philanthropic culture.
