Trinity Sees Record-Breaking 1869 Challenge

Believe it: Trinity Tigers will rise to any challenge.

For years, the University community has rallied around the annual 1869 Challenge to support students. In 2020, though, students needed additional support for the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the global pandemic. So, Trinity took a big chance by setting a goal of 3,100 gifts over 1,869 minutes during a year that has tested us all. But the University’s community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, family, and friends, united as One Trinity, blew past that total hours in advance.

Then, they shattered the next goal of 3,410 gifts. When the dust settled, the tallies stood at 4,456 gifts, representing a record $667,441 raised across 45 states.

This is Trinity’s community: it’s one of innovation, tenacity, and ambition. And this community, once again, stands united in support of this home they’ve been building, brick by brick, family by family, generation by generation. When supporters give through Trinity, they’re joining something bigger than the sum of its parts—a growing, evolving, potent force for good. 

The impact of this “good” is already taking shape. Right now, gifts from the 1869 Challenge have already started helping students who depend on opportunities provided by scholarships, sorority and fraternity life, music, athletics, and so much more. 

Here are a few examples of how donors seized opportunities to support excellence and achievement, access and inclusion, and health and wellness on- and off-campus in this year’s 1869 Challenge:

1. Social justice was a strong theme of giving this year, as the John Donahue Award for Social Justice met its goal of 77 donors, unlocking a matching $7,500 gift from Whalin Harter-Leahy '03 and Clay Condon. 
2. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology, which administers the Donahue Award, also took first place in the departmental challenge, earning a $2,500 match from President Danny Anderson. 
3. The Trinity University Diversity and Inclusion Office received a dollar-for-dollar match of $2,000 thanks to strong support from donors. 
4. Legacy families turned out strong, earning a $10,000 matching gift from Matt Clark '92, P'22 and Margery Arnold '90, P’22.
5. A spirited Greek life challenge saw Chi Delta Tau emerge on top in terms of dollars raised, while the Triniteers received the most gifts.
6. In athletics, baseball received the most gifts, while football had the highest dollars-raised amount.
7. Donors also supported students with emergencies by donating to the Raymond Judd Student Emergency fund, which earned enough to receive all of a $10,000 matching gift from John Sikora Jr. ’88.

Donors around the world showed that this was truly our time, and our challenge.

For a complete list of challenges, gifts and standings, visit givingday.trinity.edu.