UNM Big Give 2025 Wraps Up Best-Ever Year
Every day that ends in the letter “y” is a great day to be a Lobo. But for three years running, UNM Big Give has been the day for Lobos worldwide to celebrate the university through philanthropy.
UNM Big Give is a 24-hour event in February that unites alumni, students, faculty, staff, and supporters and inspires them to make a gift of any size to any school, department, college, or program at UNM. Donors can choose from featured funds and take part in giving challenges and gift-matching opportunities. For one day, Lobos can imagine the change they would like to see at UNM and help make it possible.
Data from all three years of UNM Big Give shows that transformation is possible through the power of collective giving.
This year we debuted two new features to encourage donors.
During UNM Big Give Power Hours, individuals who gave $50 or more to any fund received a pair of exclusive UNM Big Give socks. The Foundation mailed more than 250 pairs of socks to these donors. Power Hours raised nearly 20 percent of overall giving.
Quack and Give Back allowed individuals to submit a name for one of our feathered Duck Pond residents with a donation of $20 or more. We received 208 naming submissions; the winning duck name was Captain Quack Sparrow.
Although the event lasted just one day, a lot of preparation went into making it a success.
Nearly 3,400 text messages about supporting challenge and match opportunities were sent.
1,859,440 emails were sent during the campaign, with a 34% open rate.
647 direct emails spurred individuals to take action by making a gift.
Our campus partners published 269 social media posts promoting the event.
Lobos Give Day
To broaden our philanthropic impact, UNM Big Give partners with Lobos Give Day, a 24-hour period during which Lobos can make a gift to UNM Athletics. Gifts made to the Lobo Scholarship Fund, UNMatched Excellence, sport-specific enhancement funds, and the LIFE Program helps UNM student-athletes achieve their dreams.
This year, Lobos Give Day raised $362,740 – surpassing its $300,000 goal – from 187 donors.
View a donor map and more on the UNM Big Give website.
