Northwood University is celebrating a record-setting 2026 Day of Giving after receiving 286 gifts totaling more than $155,000 in support of students, programs, and priorities across the institution.
“This year’s Day of Giving represented our community at its absolute best: alumni, parents, students, friends, and colleagues came together on Founders Day to invest in something far bigger than any one of us — 67 years of Northwood, and the belief in this place has never been stronger,” stated Senior Alumni and Engagement Officer Julie Adamczyk.
Day of Giving is held in conjunction with Northwood’s Founders Day, which celebrates the institution’s co-founders, Arthur and Johann Turner and Gary and Willa Stauffer, and The Northwood Idea, which emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility, free enterprise, limited government, and work and thrift as a means for self-development and service to others.
This year’s campaign marked the most successful Day of Giving in university history, both in dollars raised and in the strength of participation from the Northwood community.
“Our community showed up in a way that is genuinely difficult to put into words,” added Director of Annual Giving Laura Rhodes. “Hundreds of alumni, parents, friends, and students made gifts that will shape the next incredible chapter in Northwood’s story.”
Participants could choose from 45 funds that support various initiatives and programs that are important to Northwood’s ongoing growth and development. Other highlights from this year’s Day of Giving include:
• Participating donors totaled 286, of which 23 were new donors
• Donors came from 23 states and three different countries
• Donors supported a variety of areas, including academics, athletics, scholarships, and The Northwood Fund
• Tremendous support from a pool of matching gift donors, including $43,961 from the Chi Alpha Mu (XAM) and Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) fraternity alumni chapters
• Northwood employees stepped up in a big way, with 91 collectively donating $8,913
“This record-breaking Day of Giving reflects the extraordinary belief our alumni, friends, employees, and supporters have in Northwood’s future,” stated Vice President of Advancement Murray Kyte. “Their generosity arrives at a defining moment, as Northwood advances our historic When We Are Free campaign to raise $100 million for student scholarships, academic excellence, campus infrastructure, and experiential learning opportunities that equip our graduates to lead with conviction, character, and purpose.”
