The countdown is on! Mary Wash Giving Day marks its fifth anniversary next week, and the entire University of Mary Washington community is invited to join the celebration.

Participation matters most in helping UMW reach its goal of 3,000 gifts and 500 first-time donors during the 24-hour event on Tuesday, April 5. This year’s theme, #TogetherUMW, reminds us that even though we may be spread out across the campus, country and continents, we share a common goal of supporting Mary Washington’s students and benefiting its programs and initiatives.

“It only takes five minutes of your day to make a gift that can help set up our students for success for years to come,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. She praised the continued generosity of the Mary Washington community over the last five years, as student need grows and UMW adapts to an ever-changing world. “Making even a $5 gift on Giving Day can result in thousands of extra dollars for students.”

With $150,000 in challenges and matches waiting to be unlocked at givingday.umw.edu, every donation has the potential of doubling and even tripling its impact. All who care about Mary Washington and its mission can provide additional funding for students by helping to meet participation benchmarks throughout the day. Read more.

Conducting trailblazing research. Creating and performing meaningful works of art. Competing on athletic teams. Exploring a new culture. Making a difference on campus and in the community.

These are all familiar hallmarks of the University of Mary Washington experience. On Tuesday, April 5, the entire UMW community – alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends – are invited to join together in celebration of the fifth annual Mary Wash Giving Day. The highly anticipated event connects all who love Mary Washington – on campus, throughout the country and around the world – folks who are working together to guarantee that students continue to reap the benefits of a Mary Washington education for years to come.

This year’s theme, #TogetherUMW, reminds us of what can be accomplished when we unite for a common purpose: To support students by funding academic, athletic, arts, service, career and cultural programs. UMW’s goal – 3,000 gifts during the 24-hour event, including 500 from first-time contributors – will strengthen the student experience and shape future generations of leaders, creators and problem-solvers from Mary Washington. Read more.

On Mary Wash Giving Day, the volume of donations over 24 hours was equivalent to the quantity typically received by the University over several months. Now that all online, mailed and phoned-in contributions made on April 13 have been tallied, the day’s official results are in: 3,453 gifts—exceeding the day’s goal of 3,000—totaling $598,326.

Ardent support from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends of the University was especially heartening this year, following the cancellation of Giving Day in 2020. The Mary Washington community paid it forward in countless ways, sponsoring challenges and matches, spreading the word as Giving Day Ambassadors and posting photos of their pets decked out in Mary Washington bandannas. Read more.

More than $130,000 in challenges and matches are waiting to be unlocked on Mary Wash Giving Day, Tuesday, April 13. With a goal of 3,000 gifts in 24 hours to benefit students and programs across the University of Mary Washington, the emphasis on participation is reflected in this year’s theme of #AllTogetherUMW.

Several of the University’s most loyal supporters have committed to double (and sometimes triple) gifts made on April 13 at givingday.umw.edu. With a $5 gift minimum, all who love Mary Washington are asked to help unlock additional challenge amounts by meeting participation benchmarks throughout the day:

• 540 gifts (a nod to Fredericksburg’s area code) by 9 a.m. will unlock $1,540 from Jay Sinha ’07 and Miriam McCue ’16
• 1,000 gifts by noon will unlock $3,000 from Susan Leavitt ’83
• 1,908 gifts (paying homage to UMW’s founding year) by 5 p.m. will unlock $5,000 from Mary Louise Holmes ’97
• 3,000 gifts by 11:59 p.m. will unlock $9,000from Robert Strassheim ’96 and Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01.

More than 200 Giving Day ambassadors – alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends of UMW – have signed on to help spread the word on social media. Their enthusiasm is a key ingredient in the day’s success; data from past Giving Days shows that each social post by an ambassador inspires three additional gifts. Anyone can sign up online as an ambassador (and receive a digital toolkit and unique referral link). Read more.

There’s no time like spring at the University of Mary Washington, and there’s no day like Giving Day. Mary Wash Giving Day returns this year on Tuesday, April 13, and the University community near and far – alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends – is invited to join the celebration.

This year’s theme, #AllTogetherUMW, serves as a reminder of what can be accomplished when supporters join forces for a common purpose: to benefit students through funding for academic, athletic, arts, leadership, service, career and cultural programs. And this year’s goal — 3,000 gifts to areas across the University during the 24-hour online event — emphasizes each donor’s impact on the student experience.

Also known as “Mary Wash Day,” the initiative has grown exponentially since its 2017 inception, and with 2020’s event canceled amidst the growing pandemic, UMW’s Annual Giving team is pulling out all the stops this year. Dynamic leaderboards, matching funds and social media challenges will add to the excitement as the day’s progress is tracked live.

The University has benefited from strong private support for more than a century, and donors’ gifts have provided an essential boost throughout the past year. As student need grows and UMW adapts to a rapidly changing world, Giving Day gifts are more valuable than ever. On the Mary Wash Giving Day website, on April 13, donors will be able to provide direct financial assistance to students through the General Scholarship Fund or the Technology Assistance Fund, or support the University’s most pressing needs through the Fund for Mary Washington. Gifts will strengthen diversity and inclusion initiatives, and bolster campus preservation, student life, and other areas that define the UMW difference. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington has postponed its fourth annual day of online fundraising, Mary Wash Giving Day, originally set to take place Thursday, March 19.

In light of the unparalleled impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on UMW, the Fredericksburg community – and the nation, the University instead encourages its constituents to focus on each other, their loved ones, and their communities.

The generosity of UMW alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends during past Giving Days has made a vast impact on the University’s mission and ability to serve students. The University will consider rescheduling Giving Day at a future point in time.

Themed “Come Together,” Mary Wash Giving Day 2020 will be poised to do just that. It will bring together those who care about UMW and all it stands for – education, empowerment, integrity, caring and compassion.

In the meantime, the University of Mary Washington encourages its campus and community to work together for the common good and to “come together” in ways that reflect UMW’s commitment to humankind.

Watch the video message from President Troy Paino: