Marist’s First-Ever Day of Giving
Dr. Kevin Weinman, Megan Doshi '26, James Sladky '24 and Charlotte Greene '24 in the library on the Day of Giving. Credit: Ava Battinelli ‘26
Marist College held its inaugural Day of Giving on March 20, organized by the Office of Advancement. On this day, alumni, faculty, parents, students and others were encouraged to make monetary gifts to the College to improve the Marist experience and provide opportunities for students.
“This is such an exciting day for the college - our first-ever Day of Giving!” said President Kevin C. Weinman.
“Donor support means a lot,” said Office of Advancement phonathon associate Elizabeth Baumgardner ‘25. “Whether people can see it actively or not, it is always there. It’s comforting to know that it exists and that there is a community that is willing to give back and enhance the Marist name.”
The Office of Advancement originally set a goal to collect gifts from 1,000 donors, which quickly was achieved at 10 a.m. on the Day of Giving. With over 12 more hours left in the day, a new goal of 1,500 donors was set, which was also achieved.
With gifts still being collected online, over $562,000 have been donated, through 2,800 gifts made to the College.
“Of course, we have donors who can make really large gifts, but we also have donors who can’t, and that’s okay because the biggest part is making an impact on our students,” said Chanel Marino ‘12/’16M, director of annual giving at Marist.
Donors had the option of which part of campus they’d like their gift to go to. They could choose different sections of Marist Athletics, including individual teams or the newly proposed Track and Turf Field. Among general college options were the Marist Fund, the Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience or the Parents Fund.
“We hope that people make a Marist fund gift because that means it can go anywhere and has the most opportunity to impact the most number of students,” said Rita Rogan, associate director of annual giving. “But anywhere people want to make gifts, that’s what we care about, that people are participating.”
The Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience was established by Weinman and his wife, Beth, two years ago to assist students with financial needs. Weinman said they are gratified to see how many donors support the fund.
Members of Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow, Frankie the Fox and Kevin Weinman on the Day of Giving. Credir: Ava Battinelli ‘26
“There are so many things to give to and so many things that would benefit from further support,” said Weinman. “It’s a really important way to provide added value, on top of tuition dollars for our students and their families.”
Another designation that donors could make their gifts to was various athletic teams.
Director of Athletics Tim Murray said, “We need to provide our student-athletes with a terrific experience, and the support that we get from the folks who support this Day of Giving helps our coaches ensure that they can provide the best opportunity for their athletes, both in the classroom and here on the playing field.”
Mohamed Diawara '24 and Brandon Furey '26, members of the Marist football team, shared how they will benefit from donor support, such as new helmets, complimentary breakfast, travel and more.
“As we receive more and more money, you see all of the possibilities that we can have with every donation and how much of an impact that makes for all of the athletes,” said Associate AD/Business Operations Zak Harkenrider ‘18M.
According to Mike Byerly, associate vice president of development, the early plans for the Day of Giving started last summer. After sharing the idea with the Parents Council and receiving a positive response, they decided to bring it to President Weinman.
“It’s a really big undertaking,” said Rogan. “We are a small staff, but Weinman's arrival, his commitment to philanthropy and his emphasis on the importance of the Marist Fund really propelled us into doing this.”
The Office of Advancement encourages a culture of philanthropy on campus to support the goals of the college’s strategic plan and educational mission. Rogan, Byerly, Marino and the rest of the office work to create life-long relationships with alumni, parents and trustees by communicating regularly, holding high-impact special events and more.
“As someone who is a graduate [of the College] and who deeply cares about our students, seeing things like the Marist Fund, the President's Fund and Athletics really be a part of our students' passion and give them the ability to take advantage of opportunities they couldn't have done without the support is huge,” said Marino.
Throughout the day, The Office of Advancement worked with various organizations to create a multitude of events on campus. Students involved with the group Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow were stationed across campus to spread information about the Day of Giving and asked students to write thank-you notes to send to the donors.
“It was a great day to be a Red Fox; our alumni network exceeded our expectations,” said Megan Doshi '26, president of STAT. “They posted personal pleas on GiveCampus, reached out to students during the day and a handful of our alumni visited our events on and off campus.”
“One of the things that Kevin Weinman has done in his short three years here is change the culture of making sure that the single most important thing we can do as administrators and faculty here on campus is provide our students a great student experience,” said Murray.
In an email to the Marist Community, Weinman expressed his gratitude and amazement of the day. A link to continue to donate was also included in the email.
“Whether you’re an alumni who lives in California or here in Dutchess County, your support is really, really appreciated,” said Murray. “Marist is on the rise. Marist is hot. Get on board.”