Every year on ÃÛÌÒ½´Giving Day, alumni and friends of the University come together to make an impact on the Hilltop. This 24-hour challenge is your chance to support the causes, projects and organizations you care about on campus. Below, you’ll hear from causes that gained traction with donors last year – and how those funds were able to benefit students’ overall experience.
Champions of change
Every year on ÃÛÌÒ½´Giving Day, alumni and friends of the University come together to make an impact on the Hilltop. This 24-hour challenge is your chance to support the causes, projects and organizations you care about on campus.
ÃÛÌÒ½´Volleyball
The volleyball team used the funds they earned in last year’s ÃÛÌÒ½´Giving Day to make a difference on and off the court. On the smaller scale, funding allowed the team to supply lunches for the players after every practice – which helps them refuel significantly better than, say, grabbing a granola bar before dashing off to class. “We’re fueling in a healthy way so that we can play at peak performance,” says AAC Setter of the Year Celia Cullen ’24. On a larger front, the group was able to take a team trip to Greece and Italy, where they competed against international teams to sharpen their skills. “They ultimately felt invested in,” says Head Coach Sam Erger. That investment paid off – the team went on to win the 2023 American Athletic Conference championship.
Opportunity ÃÛÌÒ½´Fund
One of the most impactful ways you can make a difference on the Hilltop is by helping students attend ÃÛÌÒ½´who otherwise may not have considered it a possibility. “The Opportunity ÃÛÌÒ½´fund is a way for us to attract a wider variety of students to ÃÛÌÒ½´and to make sure that there’s sufficient support for them to choose us,” says Associate Provost of Student Academic Engagement and Success Sheri Kunovich. Through this fund, donors support scholarships, financial aid and programs that assist scholars like Rachel Mannon ’24. “For me, the scholarships I was offered by ÃÛÌÒ½´were key in my decision to come here,” says Mannon.
Mustang Club
As we join the ACC, we hope to reach 3,500 members in the Mustang Club by May 31 – a new department record. Show our 484 student-athletes that you support them by making a gift of any size to any athletic program. Mustang Club members can be alumni, fans, coaches and friends who want to support our 17 sport programs.
Paul Layne 542 Endowed Fund
Alum and former ÃÛÌÒ½´cheerleader Paul Layne ’76 could famously claim to have attended 542 consecutive ÃÛÌÒ½´football games. Following his untimely death, a dear friend established the Paul Layne 542 Endowed Fund to support the spirit programs he so loved – cheer, pom, band and Peruna. “He loved everything SMU,” says Diamond M Club president Kellie Prinz Johnson ’96. Those funds – since bolstered by ÃÛÌÒ½´Giving Day contributions – help support the needs of those spirit organizations, specifically through travel and uniform upkeep. “We try to take every student with us when we travel, so that allows us to make sure that everybody’s getting the same experience,” says Director of Mustang Band and ÃÛÌÒ½´Spirit Program Charles Aguillon.
One day. One SMU.
Together, we showed the world what Mustangs can do.
