Brandeis Athletics nears $100,000 in Giving DEISDay donations

Giving DeisDay graphic
Posted: Dec 17, 2020

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Thanks to several matching donations and many generous contributions from supporters, the Brandeis Athletic department had an unprecedented Giving DEISDay on December 1, with current donation totals expected to exceed $100,000 from more than 600 donors, once final numbers are counted and pledged gifts are received.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of everyone who contributed to this success,” said Brandeis Director of Athletics Lauren Haynie. “This year has been the most disruptive and challenging one that many of us can remember, which makes this show of support that much more meaningful. The opportunities that these gifts will provide for our student-athletes going forward are tremendous.”

The day, which was extended to include the entire week after Thanksgiving, included an overall matching bonus of $8,250, to be divided among the department’s 11 programs, for reaching $60,000. The campaign achieved that milestone early, eclipsing $60,000 at just 1:30 in the afternoon on Dec. 1.

All eleven of Brandeis’s programs also unlocked an additional $1,000 for their teams by generating donations from 35 or more contributors. Women’s basketball led the way with the highest tally of donors and total dollars raised. Other top programs in terms of the number of donors were women’s soccer (91 donors), men’s soccer (56 donors), tennis (50 donors), and fencing (49 donors). The women’s basketball and tennis programs each raised more than $10,000 for the campaign. For a full breakdown of the numbers, visit the challenges and leaderboards page.

Overall for the University, not only was this the most successful Giving Tuesday campaign yet, it was also the most successful single-day community fundraiser in Brandeis history. Brandeis as a whole raised over one million dollars in a single day for the first time, thanks to 2,737 individual donations, breaking the mark from the previous year.

To show their appreciation to the alumni, friends, parents, and Brandeis community members who supported Brandeis Athletics on Giving DEISday, programs posted special thank-you messages on social media following the successful campaign.