Alumni University News

May 14, 2026 | Siobhan Murray, UConn Foundation

4,876 UConn Donors Unite to Raise $7.1M in Two Days of Community-Powered Giving

UConn Gives 2026 breaks giving records and 95% of gifts were under $1,000 — showcasing the cumulative power of broad community support

An aerial view spring blossoms across campus

An aerial view spring blossoms across campus at sunset on Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

On April 21–22, 4,876 members of the University of Connecticut community came together to raise $7.1 million for UConn Gives, the University’s annual online, community-driven fundraising event and celebration of giving. This year’s two-day event broke records, securing the most dollars ever in its eight-year history. Ninety-five percent of gifts were under $1,000.

“UConn Gives is the power of community in action. Once a year, alumni, parents, faculty and staff, patients, and friends come together, thousands strong, to support the programs that shaped them and invest in UConn Nation,” says Amy Yancey, president and CEO of the UConn Foundation. “Gifts of every size combine for real impact across our campuses and directly support students. Thank you, UConn Nation. All we do is possible because of you.”

Donors from all 50 states supported nearly 500 funds for student assistance, programs, schools, colleges, departments, clubs, student groups, and research areas, with $2.5 million directly supporting students.

Organized by the UConn Foundation, UConn Gives 2026 advances the largest fundraising campaign in UConn’s history, Because of UConn, which launched in April 2025.

“It’s inspiring to see UConn Gives 2026 become an astounding success in the first public year of our campaign, with Huskies coming together from every corner of our community to strengthen our university and propel our historic campaign forward,” says Michael Van Sambeck ’12 (CLAS) ’22 MBA, vice president of principal giving and campaign director at the UConn Foundation.

Nearly 60 challenges and matching gifts incentivized donors to make gifts to unlock additional support for their chosen funds, generating over $375,000.

Among numerous matching opportunities were two $10,000 matches from campaign co-chairs Rich E. Eldh, Jr. ’81 (BUS) and Joyce C. Eldh and a $10,000 match from Foundation board member James F. Whalen, Jr. ’82 (BUS).

To encourage friendly competition and maximize impact, President Radenka Maric and Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Pamir Alpay also created a set of challenges and matches. Their matching gift for the Students First Fund fueled community support for students experiencing financial emergencies. Their leaderboard challenges also awarded bonuses to the day’s top-performing areas:

  • The Students First Fund brought in the most donors and earned a $10,000 bonus.
  • The National “C” Club for former student-athletes raised the most money and earned a $10,000 bonus.
  • UConn Waterbury brought in the most donors of UConn’s regional campuses and earned a $5,000 bonus.
  • More information on the day’s results can be found on the UConn Gives 2026 portal.

UConn Gives drew new supporters to the University, with 27% of the day’s donors making first-ever gifts to UConn.

A record number of volunteer advocates propelled the momentum of the giving event, with 284 community members promoting UConn Gives on social media and within their networks to generate $141,000 in additional giving — tripling their impact compared to 2025.

UConn Gives was first organized in 2018 to coincide with Founder’s Day on April 21. Apart from a 2020 pandemic-related hiatus, the UConn Foundation has organized the event each year to inspire the entire UConn community to directly support students, the support systems that shape their college experiences, and the programs that advance innovation.

Learn more about opportunities to build community and make UConn stronger.