Alumni. Parents. Faculty. Staff. Students. Friends.

Bona Giving Day united the entire St. Bonaventure family in an inspiring show of confidence in the university’s future, raising an unprecedented $687,000 to support students, programs and the university’s Franciscan mission.

The one-day fundraising blitz, held Feb. 24, marked the university’s 11^th and most successful Bona Giving Day.

“These numbers tell us that everyone in our community, on campus and beyond, truly believes in what we’re all doing to build a stronger future and fulfill our Franciscan mission,” said Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president. “I couldn’t be more grateful. This is a great time to be a Bonnie.”

The highlights:

• An extraordinary 57% of all dollars raised were driven by peer advocacy and matching gifts, demonstrating how alumni and friends inspired others across the Bona community to give.
• More than 1,100 donors made gifts during the campaign — a remarkable 66% increase in donor participation over last year.
• In total, 91 peer advocates generated 188 gifts, underscoring the strength of the deep relationships that define the Bona community.
  

The university saw broad engagement from across the Bonaventure community, including:

• 230 alumni who graduated within the past 15 years, doubling previous results;
• 110 parents of current or former students gave more than $103,000;
• 134 faculty/staff, a 113% increase, with 28% of the full-time workforce making gifts;
• 50 students; for the first time, members of the senior class also launched their Senior Class Gift campaign as part of Bona Giving Day.
  

The tremendous success of Giving Day follows news last fall of the largest enrollment in university history — more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students — and the conclusion of St. Bonaventure’s most successful capital campaign, A Bolder Bonaventure, which raised more than $131 million, easily surpassing its $125 million goal.

“The remarkable effort on Giving Day was the result of the exceptional efforts of our Advancement team and a sincere belief in the trajectory of the university throughout the Bonaventure family,” said Lindsay Retchless, interim vice president for Advancement.

CJ Pierce, interim director of Annual Giving, was blown away by the collective generosity and pride. 

“Parent giving rose 96% over last year, indicating growing family engagement and confidence in the student experience,” said Pierce. “Bona Giving Day is about more than dollars — it’s about participation, pride and the power of our community. The incredible growth in engagement across alumni, parents, faculty and staff shows that belief in our mission is stronger than ever.”

Support from Bona Giving Day helps ensure that current and future students can benefit from the distinctive Bonaventure experience, Pierce said.

Gifts made during Bona Giving Day directly support scholarships, academic programs, student life initiatives and other key priorities that enhance the Bonaventure experience. More than 98% of St. Bonaventure students receive scholarship support — funded in part by the Bonaventure Fund.

______________

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).