On February 14, alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff united to show their love for Oglethorpe on OU Giving Day and demonstrate their collective commitment to the university.

Thanks to support from nearly 200 donors, gifts large and small came together to raise more than $65,000, breaking the OU Giving Day record set in 2021. Individual donations received on OU Giving Day ranged from $5 to $5,000. Alumni was the largest group of donors, with more than 140 alumni participating, ranging from the class of 1963 to 2023.

Donors made gifts of impact across the university, including those that support Oglethorpe’s Greatest Needs, Stormy Petrels Booster Club, student scholarships, academic divisions, the Golden Petrels endowed scholarship, the Senior Class gift, and many other individual and special initiatives.

Along with breaking the record for most dollars raised on OU Giving Day, donors also completed three special giving challenges, unlocking $10,000 in support of Oglethorpe’s Greatest Needs from President Kathryn McClymond, $5,000 in support of the Student Emergency Assistance Fund from members of the OU Alumni Board, and $1,500 in support of Stormy Petrels Booster Club donated by Stanley M. Goldberg ’03. Though the young alumni challenge fell just shy of its goal, challenge sponsor EcClair Mayo ’14 generously gifted $2000 to Oglethorpe.

“I am so grateful to the entire Oglethorpe community for making this OU Giving Day such a success,” said President McClymond. “It is inspirational and exciting to see so much enthusiasm and energy building around Oglethorpe and our mission.”

In addition to raising funds, donors enjoyed showing their love for OU by stopping by an interactive progress wall in the Turner Lynch Campus Center. As a gift was made, a heart with the donor’s name was added to the wall, and passers-by could watch the progress throughout the day in person and online.

Equally inspiring was the number of individuals who served as OU Giving Day Social Media Ambassadors and played a vital role in the success of OU Giving Day. This group of dedicated volunteers helped to spread the word and encouraged others to get involved and donate on OU Giving Day by sharing information on their social media channels.

Thank you to all donors who supported Oglethorpe on OU Giving Day. If you missed out on OU Giving Day, you can still show your support for Oglethorpe any day by making a gift online.