UM-Flint sets $600K goal ahead of Giving Blueday 2026

The University of Michigan-Flint community made 2025 a banner year for giving to the university. New and diverse groups of donors came together to make their impact felt across the university, with their generosity leading to increases in giving activity, including:

An increase in student giving of 126%.
First-time donors upping their giving by 40%.
Giving by recent graduates growing by 37%.
Faculty and staff giving 60% more than the previous year.

UM-Flint looks to build on that energy and success, March 18, during Giving Blueday 2026. With a goal of 500 donors and $600,000 in gifts, the day is poised to showcase the power of UM-Flint's supporters united with a shared purpose – creating even more extraordinary opportunities for students.

What is Giving Blueday?

Giving Blueday is the University of Michigan's 24-hour day of giving. Members and supporters of all three U-M campus communities can give to the programs and causes that resonate most strongly with them. While there will be a lively campus celebration to highlight the event and honor donors, the largely online nature of Giving Blueday allows the U-M community to join in support no matter where they may be in the world.

Giving options focus on impact

When donors visit UM-Flint's Giving Blueday webpage, they'll be greeted with six areas in which to focus their giving:

Advance Transformative Learning Across Campus. Discretionary funds from each of the university's five schools and colleges support hands-on learning, student opportunities, and academic innovation — wherever the need is greatest.
Cultivate a Student-Centered, Vibrant Campus. Support in this area fuels the programs and organizations that make our campus an engaging, student-centered community, like individual student organization funds and the Student Affairs Opportunity Fund.
Support Student Well-Being and Achievement. From emergency assistance and basic needs to writing support and programs that foster belonging and persistence, gifts here fuel the resources that help Wolverines succeed in and beyond the classroom.
Strengthen Community Programs & Partnerships. UM-Flint's community partnerships extend learning beyond the classroom and into the heart of Flint and Genesee County. Gifts to this area support the pro bono HEART clinic, nurture young learners at the Early Childhood Development Center, create joyful, inclusive experiences for K–12 students with special needs, and strengthen our region's cultural life through the UM-Flint Music program.
Invest in Faculty & Staff. By giving to these funds, donors provide the resources, stability and opportunities faculty and staff need to teach, mentor, innovate and thrive.
Continue Your Impact as an Alumni. The continued engagement of alumni helps strengthen the experiences, opportunities and sense of community for current students and fellow graduates for years to come. Options include gifts to Alumni Relations and the UM-Club of Greater Flint Murchie Science Building Fund.

Students shopping for essentials next to shelves stocked with canned goods — A specific initiative that the UM-Flint community can bolster as part of the "Support Student Well-Being and Achievement" vertical is Wolverine Essentials, a one-stop location for students to access basic needs services and resources, linking them to supplemental food, housing, gently used clothing, toiletries and other basic needs resources.

This year's giving format is focused on "clarity and connection," according to Toni Salmi, annual giving officer.

A person with long, dark hair wearing a green textured top, set against a dark background. — *Salmi*

"We've streamlined the giving experience to make it easier — especially for first-time donors — to find something that resonates. Instead of navigating a long list of individual funds, Giving Blueday pages on the crowdfunding platform are now organized around how people experience UM-Flint," Salmi said. "The energy remains the same, but the process of giving feels more intuitive — allowing supporters to quickly see where their passion aligns with impact. Overall, we've designed this year's Giving Blueday to make it easier than ever for people to say 'yes' to what they care about — and to see the impact of that 'yes.'"

Campus events heat up the day

Chancellor Laurence Alexander smiling and giving a thumbs up while being duct taped to a brick wall. — The centerpiece of last year's campus programming was duct-taping Chancellor Laurence Alexander to the wall, with each donation equaling one piece of tape. Alexander will kick his involvement up a notch in 2026 with a challenge that puts some spice on donors' generosity.

During Giving Blueday, the chancellor will take the 'hot seat' in a live challenge inspired by the "Hot Ones" format, with every 40 gifts unlocking a spicier chicken wing. The event will take place live in the UCEN lobby and streamed on Alumni Relations' Instagram page, showcasing how collective participation can drive impact in real time.

And while the temperature rises for the chancellor, campus VIPs will cool down by taking part in a dunk tank event. Other aspects of the on-campus celebration will include tabling by participating funds, outdoor games, Giving Blueday bingo, a taco bar and a caricature artist.

A student smiling while holding mock money in the cash cube. — Students can get a head start on Giving Blueday, starting March 9-17, with a selfie challenge by attending select in-person events or visiting designated program locations and taking a selfie with the Giving Blueday sign. Each selfie earns 10 seconds in the Cash Cube (up to one minute total) and all collected funds go to the student organization of their choice.

GiveBlue+2

The GiveBlue+2 program offers donors a chance to bring others along in their commitment to UM-Flint while earning some exclusive swag. Everyone who receives gifts from at least three donors through their personal giving link will score an exclusive U-M deck of cards designed by alum Adam Beeman.

How to participate

Visit the Giving Blueday page on March 18 to see the funds available this year and to make a gift.

To learn more about how you can support UM-Flint through gifts and volunteer opportunities, visit the University Advancement webpage or call 810-424-5448.