Lipscomb has record-breaking Giving Day with over $3.3 million raised in 24 hours
More than 5,400 donors make gifts to support students, programs at Lipscomb in 24 hours during Giving Day 2026
Office of Public Relations & Communications |
The Lipscomb community is celebrating a record-breaking Giving Day as more than 5,400 donors made gifts totaling over $3.3 million in a 24-hour period to support students and programs.
The eighth annual Giving Day, held Thursday, Feb. 26, surpassed its bold goal of engaging 4,200 donors by over 1,200 contributors. For the first time in school history, Giving Day gifts exceeded $3.3 million in a single day. This marks the fifth consecutive year Giving Day totals have surpassed the previous year. In 2025, donors contributed more than $3.1 million.
“Giving Day is a powerful reminder of what happens when the Lipscomb family comes together with a shared purpose,” said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “More than 5,400 alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends stepped up in just 24 hours to invest in our students, opening doors through scholarships, strengthening programs across campus, and helping young people prepare for lives of purpose. We are humbled and deeply grateful for another record-breaking year, for the extraordinary generosity of our community and the impact it will have for years to come.”
Giving Day provides donors with the opportunity to give specifically to a program or project of interest to them, and across the board from academic colleges to athletics, from missions teams to Lipscomb Academy, every department reaped rewards in donations throughout the day.
Funds raised during Giving Day 2026 will benefit a wealth of specific programs and initiatives including student scholarships, the Student Care Emergency Fund, faculty-student research, the establishment of a student-led consulting agency in the College of Business, athletics teams, the Center for Vocational Discovery, the IDEAL program, the McClure Faith and Science Center and the Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities and mission trips to name a few as well as numerous academy programs and projects. Giving Day drew 1,153 alumni (who raised almost $700,000 as a group), over 600 faculty and staff, 547 parents and 531 students to contribute to Lipscomb’s future, among other donors.
The entire event was the result of the tremendous generosity of the enthusiastic fans and friends of Lipscomb, including: the Office of Advancement team, led by Keith Hinkle, senior vice president for advancement, and particularly the Annual Giving team, led by Stephanie Carroll, associate vice president for advancement; Bethany Perala, director of annual giving; Rhonda Minton, director of strategic communications for advancement; and the Lipscomb Academy Advancement team lead by Eric Adams, associate head of school for advancement, and Sheron Davidson, director of advancement programs and alumni engagement. Thank you also to the Academy Giving Day Campus Leaders: Katy Flatt, Crystal Hastings, Jake House, Robert King, Kristi Reynolds and Michele Young; and the University Giving Day Campus Leaders: Scott Baker, Marcella Barbosa, Spencer Barnabee, Daniela Baugh, Abby Bell, Stacy Blackston, Sydni Caldwell, Jailya Cole, Jaimie Beth Colvin, JP Conway, Marisol Flores, Kelli Garrett, Karin Hensley, Emily Hogg, Anna Johnson, Tyler Kemmerer, Halle King, Justin Kirby, Naomi Lutz, Beth Mangrum, Joseph Mankin, Makala Marsee, Christy Martin, Kris Miller, Kate Minchew, Beth Morrow, Laura Morrow, Laura Newsom, Hope Nordstrom, Misty Parsley, Shanna Ray, Mickey Ryan, Anand Samuel, Anna Shell, Robbie Spivey, Jodi Thomas, Kristen Thompson, Jenna Vance, Samuel Waldron, Dannie Woods and Heidi Wright. It is also a reflection of the work of countless ambassadors who helped spread the word throughout the day.
Lipscomb University is a university on the move that is a top-tier, nationally recognized Christ-centered community. This school year, the university celebrated its largest total enrollment in school history with continued growth in freshman and graduate enrollment along with record retention rates. In addition, the university is ranked the #13 Christian university in the nation by Niche.com, a Forbes Best College, received a four-star rating in Money magazine’s 2025 Best Colleges list, is a U.S. News & World Report Best National University, is ranked a Best Value Colleges in America by Niche and a Best Southern College by The Princeton Review. In addition, its business, animation and education programs are consistently ranked among the best in the nation and in the state. Over the last year the university announced the launch of several new academic programs and partnerships developed to meet workforce demand in areas such as communication sciences and disorders, an online Doctorate of Pharmacy, anesthesiology assistant studies, early childhood education and teacher licensure as well as a nursing leadership credential program and a rural nursing initiative. Lipscomb is also one of the first independent institutions in the nation to offer campus-wide AI integration and access to robust, cutting-edge AI tools and training for all university students, faculty and staff.
Located in the heart of thriving Nashville, Tennessee, Lipscomb University is a Christ-centered community that is one of the few institutions in the nation offering educational pathways from age two through the doctoral level. Students can begin their journey at Lipscomb Academy’s SEED School and continue through a full spectrum of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs—making Lipscomb a unique two-year-old to Ph.D. institution. With an enrollment of more than 4,900 university students and over 1,400 at Lipscomb Academy, the institution is deeply embedded in the Middle Tennessee community, committed to shaping lives of character, leadership and service. Its rigorous academic programs are paired with life-transforming experiences, all guided by a mission to prepare students for lives of purpose. For more information, visit www.lipscomb.edu.