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.
One of the highlights of Giving Day was raising funds for the Winter Storm Recovery Fund, which supports team members impacted by Winter Storm Fern. Fern swept through Middle Tennessee, leaving Nashville among the hardest-hit cities in the nation. The weight of ice and snow brought down trees and power lines across our community, impacting hundreds of thousands across the city and surrounding areas and making this one of the worst storms in our history.
Many of our university faculty and staff experienced extended outages, property damage, displacement from their homes and other ongoing recovery needs. Even while managing disruptions and concerns at home, faculty and staff kept moving forward, staying connected with students and one another, caring for students on campus, preparing for remote work, supporting colleagues,and serving our neighbors.
The Winter Storm Recovery Fund, made possible through the generosity of donors and Giving Day gifts, was launched to support faculty and staff who were significantly impacted by the storm. Thanks to the generosity of cherished friends and donors, the university was able to support every request for assistance, distributing more than $80,000 in relief funds to team members.
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.
