Annual Day of Giving raises more than $2 million in support of the Culver Fund

More than 2,400 alumni, parents, faculty, staff and supporters united to show the spirit of Culver Academies during the annual Day of Giving on Thursday, contributing gifts totaling more than $2 million in a powerful show of support, according to preliminary results.

“Day of Giving has become a remarkable tradition at Culver that demonstrates the passion and loyalty that our alumni, parents and friends have for the Academies. I am proud of what we accomplish for our students and faculty in one day, thanks to their generosity,” said Jason Petrovich, chief advancement officer. “It embodies this year’s school theme, ‘Find Joy, Fuel Joy,’ as these contributions certainly fuel the joy at Culver.”

The 24-hour fundraising effort drew participation from donors in all 50 states and 35 countries, showing Culver’s far-reaching influence and deeply connected global community.

All funds raised during the ninth annual Day of Giving will directly support the Culver Fund, which provides scholarships for students and campers, strengthens efforts to attract and retain exceptional faculty and staff, and sustains Culver’s hallmark character and leadership development programs. Culver Academies is an elite boarding school dedicated to developing ethical leaders for a global society.

The number of donors surpassed the campaign’s goal of 2,034, a figure chosen because that is the number of students and campers Culver serves in a year.

Culver students helped show appreciation by calling donors and writing thank-you notes during lunch. Students gathered under the mezzanine at the Lay Dining Center to write messages of appreciation.

Kayla Rossman ’26 wrote three thank you notes.

“I am just so grateful for all the support because I know that all the parents and donors work really hard to support the school that they love, and I just really appreciate it because that means so much to me,” she said. “I feel like people love to give to the school and it inspires me to one day give to the school. This school means so much to me. I see their support helping every day.”

Dexter Ten Eyck ’28 said he hopes the thank you note he wrote will make someone’s day brighter.

“They donate money to make our lives better and I wanted to thank them for that,” he said.

Katie Smoltz ’26 said she wrote a thank you note because she wants to show her gratitude.

“Because I know when someone tells me they are grateful for something I’ve done I feel good and I want to support more. It’s good to be grateful for all that you are given,” she said.