This week, Knight Nation showed the incredible power of what we can achieve when we come together in support of a shared philanthropic mission. Thank you to everyone who participated — your generous investment is shaping the future of our university, our students and our community.
Thousands of you came together to support the programs and the people who matter most. Your investment in the future of UCF fuels innovation, supports student success and moves us closer to unleashing the potential of our students. During this special 24-hour event, you helped raise more than $14.8 million for your university. That’s more than any previous UCF Day of Giving and a 63% increase from last year. We are deeply grateful for the Black & Gold community and for your unwavering support.
Continue to Help UCF Unleash the Potential of Our Knights.
The contributions made today reflect a shared commitment to building a stronger community, expanding access through scholarships, supporting our student-athletes, advancing cutting-edge learning facilities, fueling research and strengthening UCF’s global reputation.
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“The incredible success of this year’s UCF Day of Giving speaks to the extraordinary pride in our university and the exciting future we are inventing together,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “We are thankful for the generosity of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, partners and the community. These gifts will drive our excellence, support student success, advance exploration and discovery, and unleash potential across our university.”
Celebration of Black & Gold Community
By making 10,472 gifts, inspired donors across the globe rallied together for the community-driven effort — supporting the university and areas that aim to empower Knights and solve the world’s most significant challenges. These contributions were made across all 50 U.S. states, as well as globally including Australia, France, Panama and the United Kingdom.
“UCF Day of Giving is Knight Nation’s single largest day of collective impact,” says Rodney Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation. “It’s about providing our students an attainable, high-quality education; emboldening the country’s leading researchers to innovate and revolutionize; and challenging what we know today to explore what we’ll discover tomorrow. Your support is the catalyst for all this and more.”
A Time to Get Involved
Knights across the country and around the world came together to support dozens of virtual challenges. From friendly competition to mission-inspired giving, these hourly challenges kept people engaged and excited to support the causes close to their hearts. Real-time leaderboards on the UCF Day of Giving website kept the momentum going all day. Among the top colleges and units by participation were the College of Arts and Humanities, UCF Athletics, Student Success and Well-Being, College of Sciences, College of Nursing and College of Health Professions and Sciences.
Participating in these events not only reinforces the importance of philanthropy for Knights, but also sparks meaningful conversations about how their engagement — not just their gifts — can create a powerful impact at UCF, one that extends far beyond the classroom.
One student who has benefited from this generosity is Faith Kidwell, a freshman in her second semester at UCF and the first scholarship recipient of the Taking Flight Foundation Scholarship Fund. This scholarship, established on UCF Day of Giving 2024 by alumnus and entrepreneur Mark Norato ’91, provides $25,000 for an incoming freshman from a single-parent household and covers all educational expenses for a student’s first year, including tuition, housing, textbooks, extracurricular activities and more.
The scholarship, Kidwell says, has impacted her life in ways she could have never imagined. A music educationmajor and tuba player in the Marching Knights, she’s grateful that she can now focus on her studies, without having to worry about finances.
“If I didn’t have this [scholarship],” she says, “I wouldn’t be able to do the brass band outside of UCF. I wouldn’t be able to do the mentorship program with a prominent international brass conference. I wouldn’t be able to do school observations or work with students on Sundays. There’s so much I wouldn’t be able to do, and I’m so incredibly thankful.”
Pushing Past Your Limits
Raised in a small town in Florida by two public school educators, Heather Pigman ’94 had only two criteria as she surveyed her college prospects — it had to be an in-state school to accommodate her full-ride scholarship, and it had to be somewhere that offered more opportunity than her beach town upbringing.
At that time, legacy universities in very small towns were really the only well-known game in town. But when a friend shared their plans to attend UCF in Orlando, Pigman took note. She used her time at UCF to explore the different career paths available to her. It was a guest lecture featuring a group of lawyers that finally guided her toward practicing law.
Today, Pigman is a sought-after attorney with Hollingsworth LLP in Washington, D.C. And while she continues to carry that renegade spirit forth through her work, she has felt a calling to support the next generation of barrier breakers through her alma mater.
This UCF Day of Giving, she’s committed a new gift of nearly $1 million to student scholarships, as well as student development and experiential learning services, through the Collins/Pigman Family Endowed Scholarship and the Experiential Learning Fund.
“My parents believed that education changes lives — especially because it changed their lives. These scholarships are my way of paying it forward,” Pigman says.
Supporting Student-Athletes
In advance of UCF Day of Giving on April 10, the Frost family made a generous $500,000 commitment to UCF Athletics’ newly launched Competitive Success Fund. This transformational gift from UCF head football coach Scott Frost and his wife, Ashley, will directly enhance UCF’s ability to recruit, retain and develop student-athletes as they compete at the highest levels.
The Competitive Success Fund, part of the ChargeOn Fund, serves as a crucial initiative to strengthen UCF Athletics’ commitment to student-athlete excellence. The fund is designed to support revenue sharing efforts, bolster scholarship opportunities and elevate the overall competitiveness of UCF’s athletic programs. The Frost Family’s contribution to the Competitive Success Fund is a testament to the lasting impact of the UCF experience and the collective effort to propel the Knights forward in this new era of college athletics.
Pending final approval of the House Settlement, beginning July 1, 2025, universities will be permitted to share revenue directly with student-athletes. UCF’s Competitive Success Fund is a proactive measure to ensure that the department is prepared to support its student-athletes at the highest level as college athletics continues to evolve.
The Competitive Success Fund plays a critical role in advancing UCF’s Mission XII initiative. For more information on how to support UCF Athletics through the Competitive Success Fund, click here.
Keep Fueling the Future of UCF.
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UCF Day of Giving may just be one day, but the impact of your generosity will shape our students, faculty and community for years to come. Every gift — no matter the size or area supported — shapes a brighter future for all. Every gift moves us closer to becoming the University for the Future. Thank you again, Knight Nation — let’s keep charging forward.
