The Matchmakers of Giving Day

Wednesday marks the University of Maryland’s 13th annual Giving Day, but this year’s philanthropic bonanza is anything but unlucky.

In advance of the 24-hour fundraising push, a variety of UMD backers spanning nearly every school, college and unit on campus have pledged a record $1.8 million in gifts that will be unlocked with matches from other donors.  

Giving Day is an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, alums and friends of UMD to choose from among more than 650 funds to support. (Last year, nearly 9,000 donors gave an all-time high of $5.3 million.) Every gift on Giving Day also helps the university move closer to the $2.5 billion fundraising goal of Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless.

“Matches and challenges are an exciting piece of the puzzle, and it's thrilling to have such a large amount of dollars available this year,” said Diana Forbus, associate director of broad-based campaigns and strategic engagement.

In some cases, the matching donor is a group; Maryland Hillel families are jointly offering a match and multiple challenges that total more than $600,000 in support of Hillel’s programming and new building.

Among individuals, longtime UMD benefactor Nancy Clarvit ’78 is making several matches for Giving Day 2026: She will match gifts made by students dollar for dollar up to $25,000, as well as any gifts to the Student Crisis Fund and Arts for All.

“A big reason for the student match is to help encourage students to learn to give back while they’re in college and have love for the university, and to pay it forward,” said Clarvit. An artist who studied graphic design at UMD, she has a special place in her heart for the arts, and she supports the Student Crisis Fund for its work aiding students in “precarious” situations, she said. “I want them to have the same opportunities that I had when I was in college.”

Three-time Terp parents Michael ’89 and Nana Haney are amplifying gifts made by other UMD parents and family members. Once 1,500 have made donations of any size on Giving Day, the Haneys, who are chairs of the Parents Philanthropy Board, will contribute $10,000 to the Terp Family Fund, which supports student health and wellness programs, tutoring services, career development resources and more.

“We know that the state has had to cut back a lot of the funding” for initiatives like these, said Michael. “We want to make sure that there’s continuity and sufficient funding for that. Sometimes you make a donation and you don’t really see its direct impact … but with these donations, we have a chance to see the positive that comes out of it.”

The Campus Pantry is another initiative that provides critical services—in this case, to Terps experiencing food insecurity. Sonya Shooshan M.L.S. ’95 has given $10,000 in matching funds to the Campus Pantry, a cause she’s supported along with Terp Farm to ensure that free food is always available to students who need it. 

“Everyone should have a roof over their head and food on their table,” said Shooshan. “I’m fortunate to have the money (to support these causes), so that’s why I do it.”

Zeta Smith ’91 is supporting the Belonging and Community Fund with a $5,000 contribution once 1,000 donors make a gift to that unit. “When you first come on to a large college campus, creating that inclusive environment is so critical,” said Smith. “College is hard enough, so we need to help set up students with a sense of belonging so they can bring their best selves.”

Forbus hopes that these matches—and others—will inspire Terps to give generously. 

“It's amplifying the impact of the larger Terp community, which is what Giving Day is all about,” she said.