UD received $45.5M in donations last school year

It marks the third year in a row that UD took in more than $40 million in donations. The average total donations for the previous 10 years was $28.8 million, according to UD.

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“With the number of new donors and new gifts, of all sizes, not just this year but in the past three years, these results are a strong affirmation for the University and all those associated with it,” UD president Eric Spina said in a prepared statement. “Our donors are saying they believe in the University of Dayton, in its students and in its future.”

UD hosted its first-ever “giving day” this past year. The day, dubbed “One Day, One Dayton,” brought in $866,284 in donations.

The donations on the school’s giving day came from 5,638 donors, including 1,585 who made their first contribution to the school, according to UD.

Spina and his family also made their first major donation. Spina pledged $500,000 to establish the Joseph P. Spina Scholarship to honor his father. The scholarship will support first-generation college students who have financial need who are mentored by UD’s multi-ethnic education and engagement center, according to the school.

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“My father is a first-generation college graduate and the son of immigrants who was a science teacher and later a principal,” Spina said. “He has served others throughout his life, especially those marginalized by society. As he has inspired his children and grandchildren to value education, a scholarship for students with need is a fitting way to honor a singularly great man.”

The univesity has already received a $6 million donation this fiscal year from a couple that will remain anonymous. Around $5 million of the couple’s gift will go toward initiatives for student access and affordability while the other $1 million will be given to athletics, according to UD.

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