When you see purple-frosted doughnuts on campus and the John Ireland statue decked out in Tommie-branded socks and T-shirt, you know one day is near: Tommie Give Day.
The annual day of giving at the University of St. Thomas is about Tommies supporting Tommies. It’s about giving from the heart to support students who are on an educational journey, a career journey, a life journey.
This year, Nov. 12, 2024, marks the 10th annual Tommie Give Day, which is always held on the second Tuesday in November. The giving period is a time for alumni and community members to invest in scholarships and programming that support tomorrow’s leaders who have chosen to pursue a St. Thomas education.
“As a scholarship recipient at St. Thomas, it reflected back to me that I was good enough, that I could do it, and had a community around me,” said Chad Lorenz ’04, ’06 MA, ’10 PsyD, ’14 MBA, founder and CEO of Lorenz Clinic of Family Psychology. “It modeled that it wasn’t just about me. It was about the impact that everyone was trying to have in the community.”
When Tommie Give Day started in 2015, supporters gave $408,745. This year, sights are set on breaking last year’s record of $3.35 million.
Increasing student access to St. Thomas has long been the university’s No. 1 philanthropic priority. Tommie Give Day started with two initiatives and has increased to more than 100.
Donors have given more than $12 million on Tommie Give Days over the past nine years.
A rally call to the community, Tommie Give Day thrives on inspirational generosity and a desire to give back.
“I feel like St. Thomas helped me find my mission in my life. And I want that for others,” said Annie Tietema ’99, who has worked for the state of Minnesota for 24 years, adding that St. Thomas opened doors for her and changed her life’s trajectory. “How can I benefit from that and not want to give something back?”
As much as Tommie Give Day is about the giving, it has also become known for its Tommie gear giveaways, from purple-branded socks, scarves and blankets and more.
The 10th annual incentive gift is a St. Thomas backpack. Those who make a gift of $100 or more during the campaign period, Oct. 29-Nov. 12, will qualify for a backpack that they can keep or choose 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, and other partnering programs.
The St. Thomas Board of Trustees, Parent and Family Philanthropic Council and other donors combine gifts to create dollar-for-dollar matches to double the impact of giving.
Brad von Bank ’95, president of the St. Thomas Alumni Engagement Board, is one of the many alumni advocates promoting Tommie Give Day to his network.
“Scholarships are a powerful way to invest, and I really encourage alumni to consider giving even a little,” said von Bank, who was the first in his family to go to college. “We often illuminate the big gifts, and those are important. But small gifts add up to life-changing impact.”
