Elmhurst University alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students came together on May 6 and raised more than $216,000 during the University’s #JayItForward Giving Day 2021.

Proceeds from the 24-hour fundraiser, which supports student scholarships and other campus initiatives, gave another big boost to what already has been a historic fundraising year for Elmhurst.

Alumni gifts made during #JayItForward Giving Day came from at least 48 Elmhurst graduation years, and donors represented more than half the states in the U.S. A steady flow of gifts throughout the day unlocked numerous giving challenges, most issued by Elmhurst alumni:

• Trustee and alumna Gina Prochaska ’88 issued an Early Bird Challenge beginning on April 6, during which she matched all gifts made to the Annual Fund dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000.
• A Morning Coffee Challenge matched gifts up to $2,000.
• Additional challenges, with matching gifts totaling more than $5,000, were issued to new alumni donors and young alumni.
• The Two-For-One Challenge, with $10,000 in available challenge dollars, rounded out the afternoon.

Nearly $10 million has been raised so far this fiscal year, a record amount for the University. The amount includes:

• $234,000 raised on Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1 to support the new President’s Scholarship for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Elmhurst University Annual Fund, and other areas of interest on campus.
• A gift by business leader and longtime trustee Alfred Koplin that represents the largest to date by a living donor.
• A $1.8 million gift—one of the largest in the institution’s history—from the estate of George Howard Baechtold ’50, a longtime donor and friend to Elmhurst.
• Additional support from corporate, non-profit and governmental entities.
• Numerous contributions by President’s Circle members, trustees, alumni and friends of the University.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative and innovative efforts taking place across our campus,” President Troy D. VanAken said. “I can’t think of a more promising way to set the stage for our sesquicentennial year celebrations, and all the exciting days ahead for our students and our University.”