BSU Day of Giving 2025

At the end of another incredible Day of Giving, our donors have raised well over $150,000 for our students. We’re so thankful for everyone who has participated so far to make this cause a success.

If you're one of the hundreds of Beavers who has helped create more than 600 donations so far, thank you!

Meanwhile, if you missed out on the day of, or if you’re back in hopes of making another gift, you still can! We’re keeping our giving portal open until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, so that you have all the time you need to make your last-minute donations. We want to give our students every possible opportunity to succeed, and we’re ensuring you can give since we know you want the same for our students.

We've entered into the literal eleventh hour, folks. This is our chance for one final push! Don't fall asleep without joining hundreds of others for Day of Giving and building on their momentum. Our students deserve every opportunity we can give them, so let's come through for them.

Make one of the final five gifts of at least $300 before 11:59 and you'll unlock an extra $350 for the fund of your choice! So put on a pot of coffee, burn that midnight oil and make a difference for our students!

Time to take a look at our Recurring Gift Challenge winners: Congratulations to our winning trio — and doubly so for Kierstin and Tegan, who were both double winners because they set up multiple recurring gifts!

It's a pretty powerful thing to see so many Beavers come together for a common cause. Our donors have poured in over 450 gifts to make a difference on Day of Giving, and it's been moving to see the generosity of those who love Bemidji State. But there's still plenty of work to do to help us reach our goals, so we need still you to join hundreds of others in supporting students at BSU. Will you help us before it's too late?

So far, we've raised more than $123,000 for different areas across campus. This money represents life-changing support, resources and opportunities for the students of today and the students of tomorrow.

If you haven't already made a donation, we hope that you strongly consider doing so tonight. Whether your capacity is $10 or $10,000 (or anywhere in between), know that every dollar gets us further than we ever would have gone without it. This day truly takes all of us, and that includes you!

If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, there’s still time before the clock strikes midnight. Make a gift tonight to the area that speaks to you the most.

With you by our side, we know we can leave a lasting impact on the students in our classrooms. Let’s cross the finish line together and make this a groundbreaking day!

Are you up for a new challenge? From now until midnight, the donor who makes the largest gift unlocks over $1,000 for the fund of their choice! Will you take home this huge prize for your favorite cause?

The early bird gets the worm, and these donors got extra by winning our early bird challenge! Congratulations to these donors and the funds they're supporting!

We're just about halfway through Day of Giving, and here's where we stand: Over 225 donors have raised more than $60,000 for our students so far! That includes over 150 Minnesota donors and 36% from alumni, plus 15% from friends of the university and 14% from faculty/staff members. (Pro tip: If you haven't checked out the interactive donor statistics on our Day of Giving portal, you can definitely have some fun poking around on those widgets.)

While we're so proud of the progress so far, we've still got a long way to go to reach our goal of $300,000. Build on this morning's momentum by giving now, and then use our Advocate Toolkit to spread the word to your network. Every dollar counts when we're talking about opportunities for our students!

Carter Eckblad wouldn’t be at Bemidji State University if not for scholarships.

Eckblad, an ambitious senior who is majoring in marketing, is mere months away from earning his college degree because others have supported him and his goals.

“Having this opportunity to receive these scholarships and receive a helping hand from people is vital for me to come to college,” Eckblad said. “I couldn’t come to college without them.”

Eckblad is busy around campus. He is the president of the Council of Indian Students, the president of the Communications Scholar Society Club and, to top it off, he was the Homecoming king last fall. He believes that getting involved is integral to the college experience, and that philosophy has enhanced his experiences at BSU.

So has the generosity of donors, which Eckblad views as a two-way street.

“Being able to receive these scholarships tells me that, hey, there’s a lot of things riding on my back,” he said. “I want to make sure that I succeed for them, succeed for myself, succeed for my family.”

Eckblad represents why Day of Giving — Bemidji State’s annual fundraising campaign — is so important. Day of Giving is happening online today, Feb. 20, and your generosity has the power to change a life for students like Eckblad.

For Sherill Robinson, pursuing a college degree had always been a dream.

She grew up in Jamaica knowing the value of education, but financial barriers made it difficult for her to pursue a degree at home. 

But now, as she approaches her graduation at Bemidji State University with a major in business administration and a focus on management, the first-generation college student has reflected on the journey that brought her over 2,000 miles, plus the generosity that made it all possible.

“My biggest motivator was my mom,” Robinson said. “She passed away in 2017, and I knew I needed a change. That’s when a friend introduced me to Bemidji State. The more I learned, the more I realized it was the right place for me.”

Moving to the United States was a leap of faith, requiring years of work and saving. Robinson had spent years in the shipping industry’s finance sector, where she managed disbursements, collections and receivables. But even with her savings, the costs of tuition, rent and daily expenses stacked up too tall. Thankfully, because of scholarships, that’s not where her dream ended.

“I’m not your typical college student. I’m a lot older,” she said. “I worked for years before coming here. I saved as much as I could. That’s when the scholarships came in at the perfect time. They filled the gaps that I wouldn’t have been able to cover otherwise.”

Robinson represents why Day of Giving — Bemidji State’s annual online fundraising campaign — is so important. Day of Giving is happening today, Feb. 20, and your generosity has the power to change a life for students like Robinson.

Robinson is the recipient of the Welle Family/First National Bank Scholarship and the Sullivan International Student Scholarship, both of which have been instrumental in keeping her education dream alive. For her, these scholarships aren’t just financial assistance; they represent a belief in her potential from people she has never met.

Beyond her studies, Robinson stays busy working on campus at Memorial Hall and the Gillett Wellness Center. She is also involved in the International Student Organization, building connections with others who have taken a similar journey.

She admitted that adjusting to life in northern Minnesota has come with its challenges, especially the frigid weather.

“I hate the cold,” she laughed. “I’m used to just grabbing a T-shirt and heading out the door. Here, I have to think about the layers I must wear to stay warm. But despite that, I love the peacefulness of Bemidji. It allows me to focus on my studies without the distractions of a big city.”

As graduation approaches this May, Robinson is now setting her sights on the next step: gaining work experience in the U.S.

“My goal now is to find an internship or a job to get the experience of working in the United States,” she said. “Since it’s an international degree, working here can propel me to opportunities abroad or go back to Jamaica and help enhance my home country.”

To the donors who have made her journey possible, Robinson has one message: “The scholarships have helped, and donors help young minds grow and develop with that kind of generosity. They relieve financial pressures and burdens that us students have.

“It’s a very good thing, it’s a commendable thing that they’re doing.”

You know what they say: The early bird gets the worm... and the same is true for you early risers.

Starting at 5 a.m., the first five Day of Giving donors to make a gift of $150 or more unlock an extra $150 for the same designation. Don't wait!