BSU Day of Giving 2026

Here’s a look at some of our challenge winners from yesterday!

Early Bird Gets the Worm: Congratulations to our Early Bird challenge winners, plus the designations they helped support: Susan Frohreich (American Marketing Association), John Gonzalez (InPsyT), Nikki Nebosis (Random Acts of Kindness), Beverly Hodgson (Random Acts of Kindness), and Mark Shanfeld (Lakeside Advancement Technology)!

Lunchtime Power Hour: Congratulations to supporters of women’s soccer, who unlocked an extra $500 for the designation by winning this challenge!

End Strong Challenge: Congratulations to Paul Hanson, who unlocked an extra $500 in support of the football program by winning our End Strong Challenge!

The Final Countdown Challenge: Congratulations to our Final Countdown challenge winners and the designations unlocking bonus dollars: Thomas Smith (men’s golf), Kari Kantack Miller (women’s soccer), and Gary Sabart (men’s basketball, women’s basketball, International Student Organization)!

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And congratulations to the supporters of the following designations for winning these group challenges and unlocking extra funding for their favorite programs!

Beaver Boost: School of Music

Monarch of the North: Women’s Soccer

Team Spirit: Women’s Soccer

With a Little Help From My Friends: Chemistry

To all the donors who made yesterday's Day of Giving an incredible, inspiring, and record-setting success: THANK YOU! 🎉 Your generous Beaver spirit is changing our campus community for the better, and there's nobody better than you to support our students like this. 💚

Can you hear the music playing in the background? It's the Final Countdown! 🗣️ The last five $200+ gifts before the clock strikes midnight can be doubled! Now that's a good excuse to rock out. 🎸

Here's a live shot of Bucky marching right past our all-time record for dollars raised on Day of Giving! So far today, our donors have tallied up $334,000 and counting. Talk about raising the bar

Join the movement before midnight

At Bemidji State University, community does not sit on the sidelines.

Hundreds of donors did more than help us reach an ambitious goal of $300,000 this Day of Giving. They helped us crush it! Congratulations to alumni, friends, students, parents, faculty and staff, and all community members who stepped up in such a powerful way to prove what Beavers can do together.

You did more than we could have imagined.

Here's what happens next because of you:

• More students will move forward with the help of scholarships.
• Future teachers can focus on preparing to lead classrooms, not on paying exam fees.
• Students will build connections that open doors at industry conferences.
• Research will have the support it needs to keep advancing.
• Students encountering unexpected hardships will receive timely support.
• Athletic programs will have more resources to compete and win at the highest level.

You can be proud to know your generosity is opening doors for students across campus. Thank you for showing up and making this day matter. Your commitment strengthens our university in lasting ways.

But don't stop now — we may have passed $300,000, but the all-time Day of Giving record is also now within reach!

You're absolutely CRUSHING it this Day of Giving, but we still want bigger and better for our students! There's no limit to the impact we can make... you just have to make it before the countdown hits zero. 😉

Time is running out to make your impact on Day of Giving, but you can maximize the home stretch through our End Strong Challenge. 💪 Make the largest single gift between now and midnight to boost your favorite designation!

Give now » https://www.givecampus.com/s/g...

Donors rally behind cheer captain, future doctor Megan Nicholls through scholarships

Megan Nicholls was 5 years old when she viewed her premature sister through a pane of glass at the neonatal intensive care unit.

Nicholls became a fixture at that window. While she looked on, nurses would roll the incubator a little closer to the glass and lift the shade so she could see her sister’s face. Nicholls watched them take Taylor's temperature, change her clothes, and adjust the wires.

Then, months later, she was finally allowed inside.

“I vividly remember what really helped me decide on becoming a doctor was when I got to hold my sister for the first time,” Nicholls said. “I knew in that moment that medicine was definitely what I wanted to pursue.”

That early moment did not fade from her memory; it became her direction.

“I want to be able to give that back to families who are going through complicated medical things and really care for the entire person,” said Nicholls, a Bemidji State University senior from Ham Lake majoring in biology. “BSU has really fostered my ability to understand that there is a need for rural doctors and how important it is to make connections with people, especially in small towns.”

That 5-year-old looking in from outside the glass is now closer than ever to standing inside the room as a pediatric doctor. Nicholls is pursuing her childhood dream at Bemidji State because scholarship support made it possible. And today, Feb. 19, donors have the opportunity to empower students like Nicholls through Day of Giving — allowing future leaders to turn their passions into lifelong advocacy.

Read the full story: https://bsualumni.org/donors-r...

For the next 60 minutes, whichever Day of Giving designation gets the most individual donors will unlock an extra $500 for their important cause! 🔓️ Grab a friend and donate together.

Want to double your donation on Day of Giving? Challenges and matches are the perfect way to do it! Check out our all-day incentives and see which one you want to target today. 🎯

Here's the full list:

CHALLENGES

Early Bird Gets the Worm Challenge — 5 a.m.

Rise and shine! If you are one of the first five people to give $150 or more at 5 a.m., you will get a dollar-for-dollar match up to $300 for the fund that means the most to you. Your gift sets the tone for the whole day. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

Lunchtime "Power Hour" — 12-1 p.m.

Your break for lunch. Their fast break. The designation with the most individual donors giving gifts of $10 or more during this one-hour Power Hour will get an extra $500 in funding. Every donor matters because being involved is powerful. Sponsored by Allyssa "A.J." Joseph and DaQuan Jewell.

End Strong Challenge — 6-11:59 p.m.

Finish the campaign on a high note for our students. Give the largest single gift between 6-11:59 p.m., and you’ll receive an extra $500 for the fund of your choice. Sponsored by Rick '73 and Sue Black.

The Final Countdown Challenge — 11-11:59 p.m.

Don't miss the last few minutes! The last five gifts of $200 or more before 11:59 p.m. will be matched up to $200 each, which will go directly to the fund you choose. This chance will be gone right before the clock strikes midnight. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

With a Little Help from My Friends Challenge — All Day

Your voice makes people want to give. The first advocate to get 10 people to give $10 or more will get $500 for the fund they choose. People give when they trust the person who is asking. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

Team Spirit Challenge — All Day

Team spirit means helping each other support students. The athletic program with the most individual donors at the end of the day will get an extra $1,000 in funding. Highlighting how collaboration makes a difference, we are stronger united. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

The "Monarch of the North" Challenge — All Day

Crown the fund that gets the most people to donate. At the end of the day, the fund with the most individual donors will be christened as the Monarch of the North and receive an additional $1,000 in support. Sponsored by Allyssa "A.J." Joseph and DaQuan Jewell.

The Beaver Boost Challenge — All Day

The fund that has the largest overall support, based on the total amount of donations raised and the number of donors who contributed, will get an extra $750 in funding. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

Social Media Challenge: Show Your Beaver Pride — All Day

Be proud of to be a Beaver and make an immediate difference. Secure an extra $25 in support if you give at least $25 to your chosen fund and post a picture of yourself in BSU gear on social media, along with a message explaining why you chose that fund. Visibility builds momentum, and momentum will change the lives of our students. Sponsored by Angela '03 and Danny '03 Schmidt.

Social Media Challenge: Why I Give — All Day

Your story is important. After you give, post a 10-20-second video explaining why you gave and get an additional $50 for the cause you support. Stories don't just make people want to give; they also give gifts meaning. Sponsored by an anonymous donor.

MATCHES

Matches are available for a number of designations. Donations made to these areas will unlock additional funding of the same amount, up to the listed total, for that designation. The matches are:

• American Indian Resource Center: An anonymous donor will match up to $7,500
• Aquatic Biology: Joe '80 and Patty '81 Grabowski will match up to $2,000
• Boates Chemistry Endowment: Ben Tsang '71 will match up to $10,000
• Bucky Forever Fund: Joanne Provo '82 will match up to $1,500
• Chemistry: Abby '01 and Chris '01 Meyer will match up to $500
• For the North Community Partnership Endowment: Robin Kelleher '72 will match up to $10,000
• International Student Organization: Kevin Stensberg will match up to $1,000
• Lakeside Advancement Technology: Doug '10 and Sue Fredrickson will match up to $30,000
• Music: Dave '80 and Terri Thomas will match up to $5,000
• Music: Jan Lueken will match up to $12,500
• Random Acts of Kindness: Jan Lueken will match up to $12,500
• Student Center for Health & Counseling: Dr. Lee Norman '74 will match up to $2,500
• Technology, Art & Design: The EDPA - Midwest will match up to $5,000
• Athletic Scholarships: Craig and Nancy Katz will match up to $500
• Athletic Scholarships: Emily and Britt Lauritsen will match up to $1,000
• Every Athletic Program: Emily and Britt Lauritsen will match up to $100 each
• Women's Cross Country/Track and Field: Ann '92 and Craig '79 Hougen will match up to $1,000
• Women's Cross Country/Track and Field: Scott '77 and Kate '78 Pearson will match up to $1,000
• Football: Mark '78 and Zoe Wambach will match up to $1,500
• Football: Abby '01 and Chris '01 Meyer will match up to $500
• Men's Hockey: Dave Mueller '78 will match up to $5,500
• Men's Hockey: An anonymous donor will match dollar-for-dollar for former players from 1975-79
• Softball: Abby '01 and Chris '01 Meyer will match up to $2,000
• Volleyball: Abby '01 and Chris '01 Meyer will match up to $500

Every year since 2019, Bemidji State University’s Day of Giving has provided students with important opportunities and resources through crowdfunding.

And year after year, Kari Kantack Miller is a champion for the pivotal day because she understands the difference a dollar can make. 💵

Meet one of Day of Giving's most loyal donors » https://bit.ly/4rRgkU2

Rise and grind, Beavs, because the early bird gets the worm. 🐦️ Starting at 5 a.m., be among the first five donors to give $150 or more toward Day of Giving and unlock a dollar-for-dollar match to your designation. Help us start out strong in a big way!

The clock has struck midnight, and you know what that means: Day of Giving 2026 starts NOW! 🕛️ We have 24 hours to make an instant impact for our students. Let's go, Beavers!