Annual Day of Giving Raises $3.2 Million, 23 Percent More than 2022
Yeshiva University’s annual day of giving, The Gift of YU, raised over $3.2 million from over 1,000 different donors and $2 million in matching funds in a span of 24 hours this March.
YU’s 8th annual Gift of YU took place March 22. Donors had the opportunity to contribute funds across YU’s numerous undergraduate and graduate programs, with the highest of these being Yeshivas Rabeinu Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), as well as an annual fund to “support the highest priorities of the students.”
According to Kurt Deschermeier, director of YU’s Day of Giving, students, as in previous years, played an integral role in the success of The Gift of YU, bringing in nearly $300,000 in donations. Hundreds of student volunteers reached out to people for donations, including past donors and personal friends and family.
“We couldn’t be more proud of our students,” Deschermeier told The Commentator. “Their passion for YU makes them our best advocates.”
Overall, the campaign brought in approximately $600,000 more than last year, which fell short of its goal of three million.
“The Gift of YU brought our community of generous donors together in a truly inspirational manner," Yeshiva University President Ari Berman told The Commentator. "We saw the outpouring of support from all areas of the community recognizing our unique role as the flagship Jewish university that educates the next generation of leaders to advance humanity with wisdom and purpose.
“Thank you to all those who took part in this effort, from our longtime donors to the many students who made their very first gift to YU.”
Beginning in 2016 and taking place each year since, The Gift of YU is YU’s most lucrative fundraiser, and according to Deschermeier, highlights “the importance of philanthropy to YU,” supporting “scholarships, academics, Torah study, and everything that happens on campus.”
The gift of YU also raises funds for “Rise Up: The Campaign for 613,” YU’s ongoing campaign to raise $613 million to “meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty, create more innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives, and develop state-of-the-art facilities.” The Rise Up campaign has reached $350 million since its inception in 2018.
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Photo Caption: YU’s annual day of giving raised 3.2 million last month, the most since the pandemic.
Photo Credit: The Commentator
