UC News

Bearcat alumni and friends go big on UC Day of Giving

24-hour challenge raises $2.4 million for UC scholarships, key programs and initiatives

headshot of Administrator By Administrator
3 minute read May 5, 2023

The University of Cincinnati’s sixth annual Day of Giving, which ran from noon-to-noon April 18-19, raised over $2.4 million for student support, innovation initiatives, research efforts, college-based programs and more across UC and UC Health. Alumni, donors, students, faculty and staff joined together to make 3,808 gifts, the largest number of gifts ever received on a single giving day at UC.

“This year’s record-breaking achievement is thanks to the unwavering and growing support of our UC family,” says Peter E. Landgren, UC Foundation President. “Together, Bearcats are making an impact on our university community.” UC Day of Giving success stories include:

  • More than 1,050 donors gave over $373,000 supporting student scholarships, which play a critical role in ensuring UC students can stay enrolled and graduate on time.
  • Over $200,000 in dollar-for-dollar matching funds from generous alumni allow for a greater impact on scholarships, research, and immediate resources for colleges.
  • The UC College of Medicine saw 459 committed donors give $63,306 in support of expanded student scholarships and innovation in medical training and research.
  • The Bearcat Spirit Squad and Bearcat Bands were significant beneficiaries of UC Day of Giving’s success. Gifts to these student-centered programs will help close the funding gap for expenses and equipment for these vital groups. The Bearcat Spirit Squad, which consists of the UC Cheerleaders, Dance Team and the Bearcat mascot, received 151 gifts totaling $16,379, while the Bearcat Bands received 200 gifts and totaling $16,070.
  • The dedicated 252 individuals who served as UC Day of Giving ambassadors were responsible for 773 gifts totaling $35,231. Details about challenge winners and ambassador awards can be found at dayofgiving.uc.edu.

Several specific gifts will make an exceptional impact on the university community, including:

  • Lyle E. Shaw ’67, ’68 and Gretchen S. Shaw made a gift of $320,000 to the university, which will support several critical UC priorities.
  • A gift from Gary Simmons ’76 and Susan (Youngman) Simmons ’76 will establish the Gary and Susan Simmons Endowed Fund for Inclusive Leadership, providing support for inclusive leadership programming at the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute. 
  • An anonymous donor’s gift of $804,786 to the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) and the UC College of Law will further OIP’s goal of freeing every innocent person in Ohio who has been wrongly convicted of a crime.

These gifts are creating lasting change that will have a ripple effect on present and future Bearcats.

Thank you to everyone who made UC Day of Giving 2023 a success, proving once again it’s a remarkable time to be a Bearcat! 

Feature image at top: UC Day of Giving. Photo/UC Foundation

For more information on UC Day of Giving, visit dayofgiving.uc.edu.

Tags

Related Stories

1

Sugar overload killing hearts

November 10, 2025

Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.

2

Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?

November 10, 2025

The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

3

App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease

November 10, 2025

An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.