University of the Pacific saw a record $1.2 million in donations from nearly 1,600 supporters during this year’s 24-hour online fundraising event, Pacific Gives.

In just its fourth year, the campaign shattered previous records and drew 1,591 donors—triple the average from previous years—and more than doubled the average money raised during the annual event to support current and future students

The university’s leadership—the Board of Regents, cabinet members and deans—had 100% participation. There were also 434 first-time donors, exemplifying how the Pacific family stepped up to help during an extraordinary year.

“We are overwhelmed by the response from the Pacific community,” said Scott Biedermann, senior associate vice president for development and alumni relations. “This has been an especially hard year for everyone, so it’s incredibly inspiring to see this outpouring of support from Pacific alumni, faculty, staff and friends. It illustrates the tremendous impact our collective giving—at any amount—can make. We’re grateful for everyone who took part in this special day and we look forward to making Pacific Gives a tradition that will grow each year."

Pacific Gives featured several matching funds and challenges as an incentive. President Christopher Callahan, First Lady Jean Callahan and Provost Maria Pallavicini teamed up to create a $10,000 challenge for Pacific faculty and staff, matching each donation dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 to incentivize early giving. The match was so popular it was fulfilled the evening before the campaign officially launched.

Several donors also stepped forward to create their own challenge, including Regent Charles Berolzheimer, who matched up to $60,000 toward the Pacific Learning Innovation Fund that supports entrepreneurial pursuits.

This year, Pacific highlighted three priority funds:

• The Pacific Fund – Flexible support that can be deployed instantly to support students’ greatest needs.
• The Pacific Learning Innovation Fund – Provides students and faculty with resources to pursue opportunities that foster experiential learning, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
• The Lift Every Voice Endowed Scholarship – Created by Board of Regents Chair Norman Allen, this scholarship provides financial support to Black undergraduate students with unmet financial need.

Additionally, donors contributed to scholarships for first-generation students, financial security for students pursuing life-changing internships, food pantries that offer relief to Pacificans, Medicare Part D clinics that enable pharmacy students to serve their communities and more.

“This record-breaking achievement, even in the midst of a pandemic, was possible because of the tremendous support from generous donors who continue to invest in the future of our students and who share in our mission to provide a transformative, student-centered learning experience,” said President Callahan. “The result is a true testament to the Tiger spirit and the strength of the Pacific family. During an extraordinary year, Pacific made history and reaffirmed our commitment to our students and their bright futures.”

Pacific Gives was originally planned for March 2020, but the university pivoted last year to focus on creating an emergency fund to ease the burden many students faced as a result of the pandemic, including food or housing insecurity, technology needs or other unexpected emergencies.

Supporters can make a gift online year-round.