Fresno State Day of Giving Raises Record $803,000, Up 31 Percent

Fresno State's ninth annual Day of Giving closed out its 24-hour fundraising window on March 18 with $803,173 in preliminary final results, blowing past the previous record of $611,173 set just a year earlier and marking a 31% jump that university officials called a testament to the Valley's philanthropic reach.

The campaign ran from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on March 18, folded into the university's "I Heart Fresno State Week," an annual celebration of campus culture and community. Donors could direct their gifts across 18 giving areas representing dozens of individual initiatives, including Fresno State's eight schools and colleges, athletics, and various campus divisions and programs. Those who wanted to support something more specific could select "other" and type in the area of their choice.

Brady Crook, vice president for University Advancement, credited the result to alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the university. "Your support fuels the programs and initiatives that educate and empower our students, equipping them for success in their careers and the impact they will have on their communities," Crook said. "This milestone is a testament to the strength and commitment of our university that starts here in the Valley and spreads far and wide across the globe."

Gifts are designated to benefit students directly through scholarships, internships, research opportunities, and improved learning spaces, according to university communications.

The 2026 total is the latest in a streak of broken records. The 2025 Day of Giving, held March 26 of that year, itself produced a then-record $611,174, a 29.63% increase over the previous Day of Giving held in November 2023, which had surpassed the 2019 record of $550,366.

Since Fresno State launched Day of Giving in 2017, riding a national wave of dedicated university giving days, the campaign has raised more than $4.7 million for student success. This year's $803,173 alone accounts for roughly 17% of that nine-year cumulative total.