DID YOU MISS GIVING DAY? YOU CAN STILL MAKE A GIFT HERE!


Matches, Challenges, Leaderboards & Events

Don't miss the chance to multiply your impact, thanks to gift matching opportunities from some of our most generous donors.

Past Events

$12,500
10 for $25,000 Natural History Collection Challenge
A generous donor wants to keep the momentum going on Giving Day. He will give $12,500 for every 5 gifts made to the Natural History Collection, up to $25,000! Let’s max out this challenge by getting 10 gifts for Giving Day 2025!
10 / 10 Gifts
Completed
2
Match
COBA Student Success Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to support from Cheryl Peschke-Benton ’77, gifts to the COBA Student Success fund will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. You can help COBA students prepare with career readiness through core business competencies, day-one professional attire, and access to study abroad. Make your gift to unlock Cheryl’s generous gift today!
Completed
2
Match
Bearkat Men's Basketball Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to the generosity of Ray Burgess '75, for every dollar given to Bearkat Men's Basketball, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2,500. Give today to help maximize this match for Men's Basketball!
$2,500 MATCHED
Completed
2
Match
Sam Houston University Foundation’s Dollar-for-Dollar Match
The Foundation Board is making a powerful impact this Giving Day! To demonstrate their steadfast commitment to SHSU’s future, the Board will match every donation to the Foundation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $25,500. Your generosity will help drive key initiatives that enhance SHSU’s reputation and create new opportunities for students and faculty alike. Join Brooke Beierle, Ferne Frosch, Mia Gradney, John Hoyt, Chuck Jones, Joel Michael, Russell Molina, Brian Starr, DeeAnn Thigpen, Chris Tritico, and Ryan Weber in this exciting movement. Double your impact—give today!
Completed
2
Match
Bearkat Bowling Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to support from Brian and Melodee Blalock, gifts to Bearkat Bowling will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $500. Make your gift today to unlock Brian and Melodee's generous gift!
$500 MATCHED
Completed
2
Match
Bearkat Football Match
Thanks to the generosity of Rob Thompson '99 (football '94-'98), support given to Bearkat Football during Giving Day 2025 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,250! Give today to help maximize this match for Bearkat Football!
$1,250 MATCHED
Completed
2
Match
Bearkat Football Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to the generosity of Ray Burgess '75, for every dollar given between noon and 4pm, to Bearkat Football, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2,500. Give today to help maximize this match for Bearkat Football!
Completed
Event
COE Starfish Challenge
We're inviting YOU to donate $18.79 or more in honor of a teacher who made a difference in your life. SHSU has always been first in education, and this is our way of continuing that legacy—one meaningful gift at a time. With your $18.79 gift, we’ll place a starfish on the glass wall in the TEC entrance with the name of the teacher you’re honoring. Your donation supports a variety of areas that help current and future students pursue their dreams. Every donation honors a teacher who made a lasting impact, and each starfish on our wall tells their story. Just like in the starfish story, even the smallest act of kindness can create ripples of change. We’ve created three tiers of giving to celebrate every contribution: $18.79 – Honor a teacher with a classic starfish on our wall $187.90 – Make a bigger splash with a pink colored starfish $1,879.00 – Leave a legacy with a standout gold starfish
Ended
$5,000
Broadway Bank's Texas Bankers Legacy Challenge
Broadway Bank will make a generous gift of $5,000 for every 10 gifts made to the Texas Bankers Legacy Endowment up to $20,000! Let’s max out this challenge by getting 40 gifts for Giving Day 2025!
40 / 40 Gifts
Completed
$750
Sam Houston Memorial Museum Directors Challenge
Former museum director, Mac Woodward '70 and his wife, Leanne '74, '78, along with current museum director, Derrick Birdsall '91, '94 and his wife, Leslie '94, are challenging you to join them in supporting the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library on SHSU Giving Day! Your support will help advance the museum’s mission of collecting, preserving and interpreting Sam Houston’s life and times. When 25 people make a gift to the Museum, the Woodwards and Birdsalls will support the museum with $750!
25 / 25 Gifts
Completed
$500
College of Criminal Justice Challenge
When 20 gifts are made to the College of Criminal Justice, a gift of $500 will be unlocked, thanks to the generosity of John McMasters '72, '74. Your gift gets us one step closer to unlocking this challenge!
20 / 20 Gifts
Completed
$800
SHSU Alumni Sisters of Delta Zeta Challenge
Zeta Theta chapter of Delta Zeta sorority sisters Patsy Ann Reed '74, '78, Melanie Hilburn '75, '95, Suzie Kimball '74, Carol Gambill '90, Sally Kelly '61, '66, and Cathy Lyles '74, are calling on alumni and friends to support the Bearkat Emergency Fund on Giving Day! When 15 gifts are made, $800 will be unlocked from these sorority sisters!
15 / 15 Gifts
Completed
$5,000
Natural History Collection Challenge
The Parten Foundation will make a generous gift of $5,000 for every 5 gifts made to the Natural History Collection up to $10,000! Let’s max out this challenge by getting 10 gifts for Giving Day 2025!
10 / 10 Gifts
Completed
Leaderboard
Most Gifts Leaderboard
Which specific area on campus will receive the most gifts to support their larger philanthropic goals? Make a gift now to help your favorite area at Sam Houston State University get to the top of the leaderboard!
Rank Participating Group Gifts
1 Athletics 267
2 College of Business Administration 152
3 Alumni Association 82
4 College of Science and Engineering Technology 63
5 College of Education 60
Ended
Event
Name a SHSU Chicken or Duck
Make a gift of $18.79 or more and change the life of a nameless chicken or duck! Once named, you will receive a digital certificate by email with your chicken or duck's new special name! But that's not all. Your gifts support our Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library. Visitors come to the museum from across the world, making your support all the more important.
Ended
Leaderboard
Athletics Leaderboard Challenge
Rob Thompson ’99 (football ’94-’98) wants your gifts to go even further on Giving Day! Rob is sponsoring the Athletics Leaderboard Challenge, which will award $1,250 to the sport that attracts the most gifts between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 22. Make a gift now and help your favorite sport benefit from these funds!
Rank Prize Sport Gifts
1 $1,250 Volleyball Enrichment 48
2 Softball Enrichment 33
3 Women's Basketball Enrichment 28
4 Football Enrichment 7
5 Men's Basketball Enrichment 6
Ended
2
Match
CHSS Advisory Board Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Members of the CHSS Advisory Board and Dean Chien-pin Li are challenging you to support the CHSS Study Away program. The board will match dollar-for-dollar up to $2,250. Make your gift to unlock their generous gift today!
Completed
2
Match
COBA Enrichment Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to the continued support from Cheryl Peschke-Benton '77, she wants to do another match. This time she is encouraging gifts to COBA Enrichment. Gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000. Help us max out this match and have an amazingly successful Giving Day!
Completed
2
Match
SHSU Alumni Association Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to the generosity of Alumni Association Board Member Ashley Greene '97, for every dollar given to Alumni Enrichment, it will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000. Give today to help maximize this match for the SHSU Alumni Association!
$1,000 MATCHED
Completed
2
Match
SamPoly Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Chad Hargrave, VP and Chief Research Officer, along with Jody Czajkoski '00, Director of Business Development are encouraging alumni and friends to support the new SamPoly college. Gifts of any size to SamPoly will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,500 thanks to Chad and Jody's generosity.
Completed
2
Match
Bearkat Softball Match
Thanks to the generosity of former SHSU Softball Coach Bob Brock and his wife Mary, the first $300 given to Bearkat Softball during Giving Day 2025 will be matched dollar-for-dollar! Give today to help maximize this match for Bearkat Softball!
$300 MATCHED
Completed
Event
College of Business Administration Dean's Challenge
Dean Shar Self encourages you to support the College of Business Administration on Giving Day! For every 50 gifts made to COBA, a gift from Dean Self will be unlocked.
Ended
$1,000
Freshman Scholarship Challenge
We want all students to have the opportunity to attend SHSU, and with the help of scholarships, we can eliminate financial barriers and make attending college a reality. You can help change lives through scholarship funding. When 25 people make a gift of any size to Freshman Scholarships, SHSU Alumni Association President, and Chi Omega alum, Amanda Lyons '00, will make a gift of $1,000!
25 / 25 Gifts
Completed
$250
SHSU Alumni Sisters of Pink & Green 1908 Challenge
Deirdre Holloway '94, '22, Eva Coleman '94, Criscilla Hensley '91. and Cheryl Williams '86, devoted sorority sisters, are calling on their alumni sisters to support SHSU on Giving Day! Give $19.08 or more in honor of the founding of the sisters of pink and green, and Deirdre, Eva, Cris, and Cheryl will donate $250 for every 10 gifts made by their sisters up to $1,000.
40 / 40 Gifts
Completed
$250
10 for $250: Engineering Technology Challenge for Support
When 10 gifts are made to Engineering Technology, a gift of $250 will be unlocked, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. Your gift gets us one step closer to unlocking this challenge!
10 / 10 Gifts
Completed
$1,961
SHSU 1961 Sigma Chi Challenge
Sigma Chi alumni brothers Jerry Stephenson '78, Larry Larrison '77, Mike Bacon '76, and Jason Hammons '99, have come together for SHSU Giving Day to encourage support back to the university. Give $19.61 or more in honor of the founding of Sigma Chi at SHSU and when 20 gifts are made, $1,961 will be unlocked from these fraternity brothers!
Completed
$25,000
School of Music Unlocking Challenge
When $5,000 is raised in support of the Ray Gonzalez Memorial Scholarship, a $25,000 gift to the School of Music will be unlocked by a generous donor.
Completed
$500
Basketball Challenge in honor of Reed Lindsey
Reed Lindsey ’33, was a 4-year letterman basketball player and 3-year captain at SHSU from 1928-1932. After graduation, he went on to work for Sam Houston for 49 years. In his honor, when 20 people give to the Men’s Basketball Team, a gift of $500 will be unlocked. This gift was generously donated by his daughter, Patsy Ann ’74, ’78 and her husband Dennis Reed ’75, ‘79.
20 / 20 Gifts
Completed
Leaderboard
Highest Participation by Decade Challenge
Which SHSU decade of graduates will make the most gifts on Giving Day? Make a gift now and spread the word to get your class decade to the top of the leaderboard!
What decade did you graduate?
Rank Answer Gifts
1 1985 - 1994 131
2 2005 - 2014 118
3 2015 - 2024 113
4 1975 - 1984 103
5 1995 - 2004 99
6 1965 - 1974 52
7 Current Student 50
8 1955 - 1964 10
Ended
Event
SHSU Giving Day Student Celebration
Calling ALL current Bearkat Students! Join us to celebrate Giving Day! Stop by our table in Frank Parker Plaza on Tues. April 22 from 10 AM - 1 PM to grab a free t-shirt and other giveaway items (while supplies last), participate in some fun activities, and learn how Giving Day makes a difference at SHSU. You’ll also have a chance to thank the generous donors who help support the university.
Ended
Participating Groups
Alumni Association Annual Fund for Excellence Athletics Bearkat Emergency Fund Freshmen Scholarships Military Science (ROTC) Newton Gresham Library Sam Houston Memorial Museum Sam Houston University Foundation Senior Class Legacy SHSU Food Pantry Student Affairs College of Arts & Media College of Business Administration College of Criminal Justice College of Education College of Health Sciences College of Humanities and Social Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine College of Science and Engineering Technology Elliott T. Bowers Honors College

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