Bryant University set new philanthropic records on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, during its seventh annual Bryant Giving Day. The community came together to raise more than $3 million from 5,383 donors, both representing new records for Bryant’s yearly 24-hour fundraising campaign.
This year’s Bryant Giving Day helped to Ignite the Vision for a bright future at the university guided by the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan priorities. Major initiatives that received support during the day include scholarships, academic programs, vibrant student life, and Black & Gold Athletics.
Bryant Giving Day 2024 presented a unique opportunity to leverage an historic investment in scholarships, including an all-day donor challenge ignited by a gift of $1 million from Trustee Bill Conaty ’67, H’22 and Sue Conaty to establish the Conaty Scholars Endowed Fund to support business-focused students with financial need who display exceptional leadership potential. Visionary Challengers Kathi (Jurewicz) Puishys ’81 and Trustee Joe Puishys ’80 and Greg Lyden ’82 and Cathy Tormey also led the way with high-profile philanthropic investments that encouraged hundreds of Bryant donors to step forward.
“We are grateful for the strong network of supporters and friends who made another record-breaking Bryant Giving Day possible,” said President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “Bryant is on a transformative path driven by our Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, and our community’s support is an investment in our future. The commitment of every donor is vital to advancing Bryant’s mission in support of students and their success.”
Hourly challenges throughout Bryant Giving Day catalyzed support for several key areas, including scholarships, Black & Gold Athletics, and vibrant student life. Bonus dollars were unlocked as donors engaged in friendly competition to raise the most for their favorite Bryant support areas. New “Spark Hours” drove gifts to unlock bonus dollars for major areas, including scholarship and academics, student life, and Vision 2030 initiatives.
684 Bryant Giving Day advocates played a key role in the day’s success by encouraging their networks of family, friends, and colleagues to invest in support areas that mean the most to them.
“Thank you to our thousands of alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends, who came together to Ignite the Vision on Bryant Giving Day,” says David Wegrzyn ’86, P’23, vice president for University Advancement. “You are a key player in Bryant’s exciting future. Every gift from our generous donors makes a difference for our students.”
Bryant Giving Day 2024 broke previous records set in 2023, when more than $2.3 million was raised by 4,782 donors with 6,080 gifts to more than 100 support areas. “The success of Bryant Giving Day 2024 reinforces our community’s dedication to supporting a bright future for our students and university,” says Nora Marzocchi, director of the Bryant Fund. “Thank you to everyone who made a gift and helped us Ignite the Vision!”
