CofC Giving Day 2026: A Celebration of Generosity

Rooted in tradition and transformative in giving, the seventh annual CofC Giving Day launched at midnight on March 19, 2026, sparking more than 24 powerful hours of generosity, connection and community-wide giving.

CofC Giving Day brings together alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends in a shared celebration of the College and the exceptional student experience it makes possible. The countless opportunities available to students are fueled by the generosity of donors.

During this CofC Giving Day, over 2,100 donors gave more than $1.1 million, impacting 220 areas of campus.

This year’s celebration carried into the next day as the College of Charleston women’s basketball team traveled to Durham, North Carolina, to face No. 3-seated Duke in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. In honor of their historic debut, additional giving hours were added to keep the momentum going as the Cougar community rallied behind the team.

“CofC Giving Day is a powerful reminder of how our community comes together to support what matters most at the College,” says Dan Frezza, chief advancement officer of the College and chief executive officer of the College of Charleston Foundation. “The success of this year’s historic Giving Day is a testament to the incredible generosity of our alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends. Their enthusiasm and commitment, especially as we continued celebrating alongside our women’s basketball team, demonstrates the strength of Cougar Nation’s culture of engagement and philanthropy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who gave and helped ensure the College can continue providing an exceptional education and expanding opportunities for our students in both local and global ways.”

Celebrating Giving

Throughout CofC Giving Day, the Cougar community enjoyed a variety of events.

Highlights include a student-organization banner competition on Rivers Green, where votes – earned through donations – helped determine the winner. CofC Pride took home the top spot, winning a pizza party with College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu.

On Cougar Mall, a student scholarship takeover showcased the impact of philanthropy on the student experience. Meanwhile, faculty and staff joined in on the camaraderie with a catered lunch and activities courtesy of Denny’s FUNd and the Staff Advisory Committee to the President. There was also a financial wellness event hosted in the early afternoon with Liz Cooper, associate director for financial wellness in the Career Center.

In addition to events around campus, CofC Giving Day celebrations were spearheaded by Alumni Association Clubs in Atlanta; Baltimore/Annapolis; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; Greenville/Upstate, South Carolina; Hilton Head/Beaufort, South Carolina; New York; and Washington, D.C., giving friends and family everywhere the chance to engage and celebrate the day.

The day wrapped up on the Cistern Yard with a block party celebrating giving back. The signature event featured student-DJ Jaylen Williams, the CofC Spirit Squad, a Glambot, a giant foosball table, food trucks, campus engagement tables, CofC Giving Day merchandise and prize giveaways and the Cash Cube Challenge sponsored by Johnnie ’92 and Michelle Baxley.

Charitable Challenges

Other donor challenges also incentivized giving for the CofC community, including the following.

• The Buono School of Education Challenge, sponsored by Mark ’81 and Judy ’22 (M.Ed.) Buono, encouraged 50 donors to donate to any School of Education fund to unlock $12,500 for both the Heather Hall Memorial Scholarship and the Dean’s Excellence Fund.
• The Lovell J. Stewart Walker Match matched up to $5,000 of every dollar given to the J. Stewart Walker Fund to support CofC’s varsity sailing team.
• The Dwyer Family E-LLC Challenge encouraged 25 donors to make a gift to the Honors College Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community Fund to unlock $10,000 for the program.
• The Mimi O’Brien School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Challenge encouraged 25 donors to support the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Dean’s Excellence Fund to unlock $2,000.
• The Zucker Challenge, sponsored by Anita Zucker and her family, encouraged 1,770 donors to give on CofC Giving Day to unlock $100,000 to the College.
• The Kosko International Piano Series Challenge encouraged 10 donors to support the International Piano Series to unlock $1,000.
• The Lynn L. Moody Endowment for Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Challenge, sponsored by Janice Bethea, encouraged 30 donors to make a gift to the Lynn L. Moody Endowment for Mental Health and Suicide Awareness fund to unlock $5,000 in support of CofC students’ mental and emotional wellbeing.
• The Coleman Edmunds School of Business Dean’s Excellence Fund Match promised to match up to $1,500 of every dollar given to the School of Business Dean’s Excellence Fund to support student professional development opportunities, faculty research and enrichment, and engagement with alumni and friends.
• The Dan Chandler School of Business Accounting and Business Law Match matched up to $1,500 of every dollar given to the School of Business Accounting and Business Law Fund to provide opportunities for students to learn from experienced CPA faculty, connect with industry professionals and gain valuable real-world experience through internships and networking. 
• The School of Business Board of Governors CofC Giving Day Challenge promised to give $10,000 when the School of Business Dean’s Excellence Fund reached $25,000.
• The McLain School and Unit Competition, sponsored by Justin McLain ’98, awarded a total of $50,000 to recognize and incentivize participation across campus during CofC Giving Day 2026. All awards were designated to the winning areas’ excellence funds:
  • $15,000 for most donors
  • $15,000 for most dollars raised
  • $15,000 for highest alumni participation
  • $5,000 for honorable merit, selected by McLain and President Hsu

Winning the Day

Schools and units also created engaging and fun ways for students, staff and faculty to provide support through friendly competitions.

The School of Business hosted a bingo challenge. Each student who won a round of bingo chose from 21 School of Business funds to benefit from their “winnings.”

Addlestone Library held a fundraising raffle for students, where they could win a Reading Day study room and Chick-fil-A for four, a parking spot and study room at the Addlestone Library for all of Reading Day or double study-room time during finals week.

The School of Education supported CofC Giving Day through a short social media and email campaign honoring Heather Hall ’97 and encouraging gifts to the Heather Hall Memorial Scholarship, along with an Instagram giveaway that helped boost engagement and awareness.

The School of Business raised the most dollars with $268,453; second place went to the CofC Fund – Areas of Greatest Need with $170,546; and third place was Athletics with $169,186. First place for most donors went to Athletics with 525 donors, followed by the CofC Fund with 274 donors and the School of Business with 204 donors.