Thanks to the generosity of students, alumni, faculty, and staff, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s third-annual Giving Day April 25 raised more than $635,000 and exceeded its goal of 1,100 gifts in 24 hours with more than 1,200 donations. The outstanding support helped unlock a $150,000 gift to the university that contributed to the total for the campaign.
“We had a great success, and your gifts, each one, large or small, make a huge difference, because it affirms our noble mission and sends a compelling message to our communities across the great state of Tennessee that what we do matters,” UTHSC Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, said in a video message of thanks for the support.
The one-day philanthropic event, which was led by the Office of Advancement, encouraged donors to support the university with gifts of any size. Donations could be made for a specific college — Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy — or an initiative or program at UTHSC.
Giving Day 2023 comes as UTHSC continues to expand and amplify its longstanding role as the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee. Additionally, UTHSC’s faculty and clinicians staff major hospitals across the state. With more than 3,100 students, 880 clinical and educational sites across the state, and 380 researchers, UTHSC is committed to serving the people of Tennessee.
“This year, a record number of alumni, friends, and students invested into the life and vitality of the university by participating in the UTHSC Giving Day challenge,” said Charles “Charley” Deal, PhD, interim vice chancellor for Advancement. “Much like a car, our university needs your ongoing investment as well. The Giving Day Challenge is an important way to invest in our university and help UTHSC in meeting our mission.”
Since December 2022, the UTHSC advancement team has increased UTHSC’s fundraising by 356%, already surpassing the year-end fundraising target and lining the year up to be one of the top fundraising years in history. The inaugural UTHSC Family Campaign in February, a monthlong effort to encourage donations by faculty, staff, and administrators, surpassed its goal by 124 percent with 620 donors.
On May 1, Brigitte Grant, MBA, joins UTHSC as the new vice chancellor for Advancement. Grant is a seasoned advancement leader in public academic health science, higher education, and non-profit organizations.