Name: NAU Giving Day 2026
Start: 2026-03-31T00:00:00-0700
End: 2026-05-02T00:00:00-0700
Location: NAU Giving Day 2026

$ 81,547 raised 348 Axe of Kindness

NAU Giving Day 2026

Let's Elevate NAU!

NAU Giving Day is officially underway! Lumberjacks everywhere are coming together to open doors, spark opportunity, and create lasting impact for students across Arizona and beyond.

Your gift today—of every size—can unlock donor-sponsored challenges, support the programs you care most about, and help us reach new heights.

Thank you for your incredible support and for uniting to Elevate NAU!

Why Your Gift Matters

NAU Giving Day is about more than raising funds—it’s about expanding access, empowering students, and strengthening the future of NAU. Your generosity directly supports Lumberjacks across Arizona, helping them succeed now and long into the future.

Your Gift Elevates Every Lumberjack

Academic Excellence – Supporting scholarships, research, and innovative learning experiences.
Career Readiness – Providing hands-on learning, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
Student Emergency Support – Offering immediate assistance to students facing unexpected financial hardships.
Access to Education – Making higher education attainable for students from all backgrounds.
Student Experience – Enhancing peer connections, health and wellness resources, and statewide student support.

Want to Multiply Your Impact?
Step up and become a Giving Day Champion! When you sign up, you’ll receive your own referral link to rally your friends, family, and fellow Lumberjacks—and track the gifts you inspire along the way.

Sign up now to be a Champion and help us rally Lumberjack Country!

Thank you for your incredible support and for uniting to Elevate NAU on and before May 1st! Go Jacks!

Make a Gift

True Blue, 300 Strong: The Alumni Board Challenge

$6,200

True Blue, 300 Strong: The Alumni Board Challenge

Help us build momentum on Giving Day and show the strength of the Lumberjack alumni community! Once 300 alumni donors make a gift on #NAUGivingDay, the NAU Alumni Association Board will unlock a collective $6,200 challenge gift in support of NAU students and programs. Thank you to the following Alumni Association Board members for making this challenge possible: Blaise Caudill ’13; Dave Cook, ‘91; Trina George, ’09; Alex Gutierrez, '85 '90; Jana Harper, ’90; Veronica Hipolito, '97, '02; Jim Jayne, ’91; Mary O'Driscoll, ’82; Nancy Serenbetz, '75; Stephanie Smith, ’04; Maggie Thom, ’12; and (3) anonymous members. Make your alumni gift today, help reach the milestone, and show that Lumberjacks are always True Blue. WE Are Lumberjacks!

129 / 300 Donors

Make a Gift

Lumberjack Pride in Action: The Alumni Collective Challenge

$30,000

Lumberjack Pride in Action: The Alumni Collective Challenge

This NAU Giving Day, a group of nine dedicated alumni is coming together to inspire fellow Lumberjacks to give back. Once we reach 450 alumni gifts on #NAUGivingDay, their collective $30,000 challenge gift will be unlocked to advance learning, leadership, and campus excellence. This challenge is a powerful reminder of what happens when Lumberjacks come together to invest in the next generation. Thank you to the following alumni for making this challenge possible: Georgia Bernheim, ‘74; Tim, ’84, and Tracee Dwyer, ‘84; Selina Gilbertson, ‘13; Jeff Sears, ‘98; Margaret Steiger, ‘14; Wayne Watson, ‘84; Keith Wenzel, ‘87; and (1) proud alumni from class of 2017. Make your alumni gift today and help unlock this incredible show of alumni pride and impact. Go Jacks!

131 / 450 Gifts

Leaderboard

Areas of Impact

This leaderboard reflects the transformative impact of your generosity, elevating essential initiatives across NAU. Your contributions directly support groundbreaking research, student scholarships, and innovative programs that shape the future of our university.

Rank	Department	Raised
1	Elevate Swim & Dive	$12,875.00
2	Elevate the College of Health & Human Services	$9,170.00
3	Elevate Human Resources	$5,250.00
4	Elevate Maria and Steve Sanghi College of Nursing	$5,240.00
5	Elevate the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic	$3,150.00
6	Elevate School of Forestry	$3,126.00
7	Elevate Martin Springer Institute	$2,835.00
8	Elevate Men's Tennis	$1,855.00
9	The Highlanders	$1,625.00
10	Elevate Women's Golf	$1,545.00
11	Elevate School of Communication	$1,540.00
12	The Axe Organization	$1,375.00
13	Elevate Women's Tennis	$1,205.00
14	Elevate Dr. Paul J. Umhoefer Endowed Professorship	$1,125.00
15	Elevate Women's Soccer	$1,070.00

Leaderboard

Lumberjack Community Engagement Leaderboard

This leaderboard celebrates the invaluable support from our broader community, showcasing the number of donors based on their relationship to NAU. Together, we elevate engagement and build a stronger future for NAU, uniting donors, partners, and friends to advance educational opportunities and community impact.

Help us unlock matching challenges and increase the impact of your gift! What is your connection to NAU?

Rank	Answer	Gifts
1	Alumni	131
2	Staff or Faculty	87
3	Friend	86
4	Student	50
5	Parent	50

Make a Gift

First Gift, Lasting Legacy: The Foundation Board Challenge

$48,000

First Gift, Lasting Legacy: The Foundation Board Challenge

This NAU Giving Day help grow the future of philanthropy at NAU. Once 600 first-time donors make a gift on #NAUGivingDay, the NAU Foundation Board will unlock a collective $48,000 impact gift in support of NAU students, programs, and opportunities. Thank you to the following NAU Foundation Board members for making this challenge possible: George Adams, ‘74; Lisa Bagwell, ‘89; Eric Baker, ‘86; Bob Braudy; Robin Braun, ‘77; Booker Evans, Jr., ‘69; Bill Heibel, ‘70; Mary Huntley; Tim Kinney, ‘82; Nick Lobejko; Tom Perkins, ‘80; Rick Rodriguez, ‘84; Steve Sanghi, 19 & Maria Sanghi; Tony Tewelis; Dennis Wilson, ‘79; and (1) anonymous member. Make your first gift—or inspire someone else to give—and help welcome 600 new donors into the Lumberjack community. WE Are Lumberjacks!

142 / 600 Donors

Make a Gift

Your Legacy, Their Future: The 1899 Society Challenge

Event

Your Legacy, Their Future: The 1899 Society Challenge

Some gifts make an immediate impact. Others shape generations. A planned gift—such as including NAU in your will or naming NAU as a beneficiary—ensures students, faculty, and programs thrive for years to come. This Giving Day, 1899 Society members Keith ’87 and Michelle Wenzel invite fellow Lumberjacks to join them in creating lasting impact. When 5 donors make a new planned gift commitment by May 1, their challenge will unlock a $50,000 gift for NAU. Make your planned gift commitment today and help shape the future for generations of Lumberjacks. UPDATE: We are currently at 4 donors who have made new planned gift commitments! Only 1 more to go to unlock this challenge!

Leaderboard

Lumberjack Class Spirit Leaderboard

Join your fellow Lumberjacks from every decade as they rally their classmates to support NAU! Check back to see which decade is leading the charge in philanthropy, celebrating the most generous alumni who are making a difference across the years.

Alumni, rally your classmates!