Mar 01, 2023

St. Bonaventure University’s Bonaventure Fund looks to become bolder with the help of the community on March 15 with the eighth annual #BonaGivingDay.

The 24-hour fund drive launches at 12:01 a.m. with an invitation for anyone to “Rise to the Challenge” with a gift to The Bonaventure Fund. 

This online event, at www.sbu.edu/BonaGivingDay, offers participants the opportunity to join as many as eight giving challenges, create their own challenge or simply make a donation. 

“Gifts to The Bonaventure Fund have a powerful impact across campus,” said Alan Riddle, director of Annual Giving. “Every donation made during #BonaGivingDay will go to work immediately, inside the classroom and out.”

The Bonaventure Fund supports every aspect of the student experience. It funds the resources that prepare students for career success and inspires a lifelong commitment to service shown through the university’s values. 

Senior journalism major Elizabeth Egan from Fairport, New York, valued the professional internship experience she received while studying abroad. She worked for five weeks last summer with Positano News in Sorrento, Italy, publishing nearly a dozen articles. 

“Not only did my interviewing and writing skills improve, but the appreciation my Italian co-workers gave me not only for the work I did for them but for the journalism industry in general filled me with a renewed sense of confidence,” Egan said.

The Bonaventure Fund also helps boost scholarship aid, strengthen academic programs and enhance library resources. 

Dr. Iulian Mihai Damian, a native of Romania and a senior lecturer and assistant professor at Babes-Bolyai University, utilized the Franciscan Institute Collection in the Friedsam Memorial Library during a research sabbatical last fall. He enjoyed the highly specialized work environment and noted the ease with which he could find material, including one-of-a-kind medieval manuscripts. 

“Preservation of the collections and providing access to them are important,” he said. “Several manuscripts are in need of restoration or you risk losing them. These could be the only copies in the world or one of a few. It’s important to understand how fragile they are.”

While participation in #BonaGivingDay is key, a financial goal is set for $350,000 with a target of 1,500 donations, Riddle said.

The Bonaventure Fund is a pillar of the university’s ongoing Bolder Bonaventure initiative, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history. 

“It is through support of this fund that students gain a competitive edge while learning in an environment that values diversity and service to others,” Riddle said. “The world needs more Bonnies. Gifts made during #BonaGivingDay make that possible.”

University President Dr. Jeff Gingerich will join Riddle on the student-run radio station, WSBU 88.3 FM The Buzz, on March 10, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET to talk about The Bonaventure Fund as a pillar in the Bolder Bonaventure campaign and about #BonaGivingDay. The interview will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYvUOOZiA4Y.

Questions may be submitted in advance by email to The Buzz at wsbuthebuzz@gmail.com or during the program via The Buzz’s Twitter account (@wsbu). Tag the account and use #ABolderBonaventure hashtag when posting a question. 

For more information about #BonaGivingDay or to make a donation, please visit www.sbu.edu/BonaGivingDay or call (716) 375-2068.