Annual campaign has raised $1.7 million raised to support students since 2021

In its annual Day of Giving fundraising campaign, the Bellarmine University community contributed $210,914 in just 24 hours to support students, programs, and campus initiatives.

This year’s results push the six-year total for the Day of Giving to more than $1.7 million through gifts from alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends of the university.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported this year’s Day of Giving,” said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, president of Bellarmine University. “This collective generosity creates lasting impact, opening doors for our students, strengthening our community, and helping ensure every Knight is prepared to lead with purpose.”

Themed “Knights Unite,” the 24-hour campaign on March 18 invited supporters to give to the areas they care most about—from academics and scholarships to athletics and the Rev. John D. Deatrick '55 Knights Pantry. The majority of gifts were made to the Bellarmine Fund, which helps the university respond to the immediate needs of its students, faculty, schools, and programs.

For the second year in a row, the Donna and Allan Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences collected a trophy based on a friendly but spirited competition between deans from each school or college at Bellarmine. The competition started three years ago, with the Bellarmine College of Arts & Sciences winning the inaugural trophy.

The Day of Giving reflects the priorities of Bellarmine University’s $75 million comprehensive campaign – Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future – which supports student success, Catholic identity, workforce impact, and athletics excellence. Philanthropic support helps expand access and affordability while strengthening programs that prepare students for meaningful careers. This commitment is reflected in outcomes such as 99% of Bellarmine graduates being employed or pursuing advanced degrees within six months of commencement.

While the Day of Giving has concluded, it’s not too late to make a gift online at https://www.bellarmine.edu/give.