Fairfield University invites alumni, parents, and friends to BE INSPIRED — by the resilience, perseverance, and strength of our students, faculty, and staff — and participate in the seventh annual STAGiving Day: Thursday, April 22. Starting at midnight, the Stag community is asked to once again come together for 24 hours to support Fairfield students’ most urgent needs in the areas of financial aid and scholarship, health and wellness, academic resilience, and spiritual guidance, as well as operational support for our 20 varsity athletics programs. This year, when alumni, parents, and friends make a gift of any size, they will help the University reach the 1,942-donor goal to unlock an additional $1,000,000 in challenge funds to further enhance the Fairfield experience.

“This STAGiving Day, we want to recognize all that our students, faculty, coaches, and staff achieved this year,” explained Geri Derbyshire, associate vice president for development. “The amount of support, creativity, flexibility, and persistence that our community displayed during a time of so much uncertainty — to not only survive circumstances but thrive through them — is truly inspirational.” Examples of this strength can be viewed on the STAGiving Day webpage via a series of videos in which students speak with University faculty and staff about their challenges, positive experiences, and inspirations for moving forward this year.

The resilience of our Stag community inspired a group of generous donors to motivate more support from alumni, parents, and friends by providing challenge funds. On STAGiving Day, participants have a chance to increase the impact of their giving by participating in one or more of our many challenges:

• New Donor Challenge: After 100 first-time donors make a gift, $10,000 will be unlocked.
• 50 States Challenge: At least one gift from each of the 50 states will unlock $50,000.
• Decades Challenge: Show the Stag community that your decade loves Fairfield the most and win an exclusive Fairfield keepsake.
• Young Alumni Challenge: Join the Tag-A-Stag Challenge, and when 400 young alumni make a gift, it will help us reach our goal of 1,942 donors to unlock $1,000,000 in challenge funds.
• 2001 Reunion Challenge: Jack Hammond ‘01 will donate an additional $5,000 when 65 Class of 2001 graduates make a gift. 
• Parent Challenge: The 19th, 42nd, and 194th donors will be mailed a special prize.
• Athletics Challenge: Each athletics team will earn points with every STAGiving Day gift made in support of their respective programs, with the winning teams receiving additional funding for their operational budgets.

Another opportunity that is exclusive to this STAGiving Day is the chance to get a Fairfield-branded, six-can Coleman cooler with a gift of $75 or more. With the weather warming up, this is the perfect item to keep your drinks cool and show off your Stag spirit while enjoying the outdoors! 

Participation on STAGiving Day, April 22, is simple: 

• Visit fairfield.edu/stagiving (we now accept PayPal!)
• Call 877-748-5123
• Venmo @Fairfield-UniversityGiveAGift (include your email, affiliation, class year, and any special instructions)
• Share your Stag spirit using tools from our social media toolkit

For more information about the different University areas you can support or how you can participate on STAGiving Day to further enhance Fairfield and our students’ experiences, visit fairfield.edu/stagiving. 

Please note that for non-itemizers, the CARES Act allows an above-the-line charitable deduction of up to $300 for single filers and $600 for married couples filing jointly.