The week of Feb. 23 is an opportunity for St. Bonaventure alumni, friends, parents and the campus community to show their pride in the university — and in more ways than one.

Monday, Feb. 23, is Bona Pride Day, a chance for Bonaventure supporters to display their affection for the university by sporting their favorite Brown and White gear or paraphernalia and posting photos to social media using #BonaPrideDay.

Bona Pride Day serves as the gateway to Bona Giving Day, the annual daylong crowdfunding initiative on Tuesday, Feb. 24, running from midnight Eastern time to midnight Pacific time.

The event unites Bonnies worldwide in support of today’s — and tomorrow’s — students. Bona Giving Day has raised nearly $5 million since its inception 11 years ago.

“The extraordinary generosity of our alumni and friends supports students by providing scholarships, strengthening academic programs, and enhancing the student experience that’s grounded in our Franciscan values,” said Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president. “Every year, Bona Giving Day is a critically important day in the life of the university.”

Every gift made during that time frame will count toward the Giving Day total — and toward this year’s goal of $500,000 from 1,000 donors, said CJ Pierce, interim director of Annual Giving. Alumni and friends should keep their eyes open for emails on Giving Day and postcards and social media posts leading up to it.

“People sometimes feel their gift might be too meager to matter. That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Pierce said. “Every gift matters. Multiply $20 by 50 donors and that $1,000 might be the difference between a student being able to afford to come to Bona’s, or having a better experience while they are here.”

There are multiple goals to accomplish, many with the opportunity to receive dollar-for-dollar matches or bonus funds through donor challenges, including:

• Young Alumni Challenge
• Faculty/Staff Challenge
• Alumni Chapter Challenge
• Venmo Challenges
• Reunion Giving Challenge
  

Information on donations, matching gifts, challenges, becoming an advocate, or even making an early gift can be found at https://bonniesgive.sbu.edu/bonagivingday.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).