NAU Giving Tuesday 2025

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that takes place annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This day was created as a way to kick off the charitable season and to harness the power of generosity worldwide. On Giving Tuesday, individuals and organizations come together to support causes they care about and to make a positive impact in their communities. 

At NAU, Giving Tuesday is a time where our Lumberjack community, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of NAU unite to elevate our mission of expanding access to education and ensuring our students have the necessary tools to succeed. NAU's Giving Tuesday focuses on essential funds. Your gift helps fund scholarships, emergency assistance, student resources, and other essential programs that ensure every Lumberjack can thrive. 

Swing your Axe of Kindness and show the world what it means to be a Jack who gives back!

The Lumberjack spirit seed sprouted in 1899, when a teachers’ college opened in the mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona. Officially Northern Arizona University as of 1966, more than 20,000 Lumberjacks now attend the flagship campus each year, but NAU’s reach extends outside Flagstaff to every corner of Arizona and beyond. Lumberjacks are now found among the saguaro in Phoenix, the date palm trees in Yuma, and coffee shops around the globe, thanks to the 20+ statewide locations and NAU online.  With more than 160,000 alumni worldwide, Lumberjack Country is anywhere that the True Blue and Gold spirit shines bright.

So, whether you’re in Flagstaff or Fiji, Prescott or Paris, Denver or D.C., YOU are in Lumberjack Country. Share your pride and swing your Axe of Kindness this Giving Tuesday to show that this is Lumberjack Country!

Challenges are created by donors for their favorite programs. They incentivize others to give by increasing the money raised based on donor participation. The passion of these challenge donors is contagious; they hope their generosity will inspire others to join the effort.

When a challenge reaches a specified number of donors on Giving Tuesday, the challenge donor’s gift is activated. For example, when 50 alumni donate, a $2,500 challenge gift will be activated. After a challenge is activated, the challenge box will disappear. Often, challenges are for specific colleges or units across the university, which adds to the day’s excitement and atmosphere of friendly Lumberjack competition.

Every donor, no matter the size of the gift, counts, and combining these gifts will compound, helping support NAU in incredible ways.

State funding, tuition, and fees do not cover the total cost of providing a university education each year. In fact, Arizona ranks towards the bottom of states for per-capita investment in higher education. Like all U.S. colleges and universities, NAU relies on donors to help keep its budget healthy and diverse. Donations also allow the university to fund new opportunities and areas of need.

Generosity from donors supports every facet of the student experience at NAU. Your support opens the doors for students to attend the university through scholarships that can minimize loan debt. Philanthropic support helps make groundbreaking programs like NAU’s Access2Excellence possible, granting free tuition to Arizona students with household incomes under $65,000 and all members of federally recognized tribes.

Your generosity also helps NAU attract and retain outstanding professors who cultivate student potential and provide a myriad of programs and research opportunities that allow NAU to offer an exceptional education.

On December 2, your generosity has an even BIGGER impact than usual, thanks to several generous supporters who will be providing challenge funds. By making your gift, you can help your favorite areas and causes at NAU win these challenge funds. Throughout the day, leaderboards will show progress in real-time, and you’ll be able to watch dreams come true as challenges are unlocked throughout the day.

Your donation to the Northern Arizona University Foundation goes directly where you choose: a college, school, department, or any area you're passionate about at NAU (such as scholarships, a student organization, an impact fund—you name it). You can even choose to designate your gift to more than one area. Simply note your preference on the gift form and how much you want to give to each area.

No matter what your generosity looks like, it matters.

Gifts of all sizes make a difference because they’re part of something much bigger. These gifts build momentum. They add to the collective impact of other gifts like it.

Your gift and many like it often fund NAU’s current-use needs. Many of these gifts directly aid students, whether it’s through scholarships or other vital student services that support their success at NAU. 

A gift of any size is incredibly powerful. It ensures the university can adapt to the needs of its students, faculty, and staff. It adds to an essential source of funding and helps close the gaps where endowed gifts cannot.

Passionate. Enthusiastic. Generous. Outgoing. Connected. Goal-driven. (And maybe a little bit competitive?) If this sounds like you, you may be the hero we need to make this NAU Giving Day the best one yet!

NAU Giving Tuesday Champions are the Lumberjack superheroes of the day! Their passion for NAU is contagious. They rally their friends and family to give to an area dear to their hearts.

If you’re ready to save the day, sign up online to get access to your own unique link to share with your networks. You can track the number of Giving Tuesday gifts you personally inspire for NAU using your personal link. 

Spread the word on all social media by tagging your posts with #NAUGivingTuesday. Also, please talk about Giving Tuesday to your family, friends, colleagues, and anyone you think may be interested in supporting NAU. If you'd like to become an official Giving Tuesday Champion, sign up online. 

Once we receive your gift, you will receive a receipt verifying that your gift has been deposited into the account you have specified. For further guidance on tax matters, please consult your tax adviser.

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