Columbia held its 12th annual Giving Day on Tuesday, raising a total of $21,362,592 after a one-year hiatus, a 28.8 percent decline in funds compared to 2022’s record-breaking year.

As the University grapples with a donor crisis—born out of concerns regarding campus protests—this year saw a 27.9 percent drop in the number of gifts, falling from 19,229 in 2022 to 13,870, the lowest since 2015. This year is the first that the total monetary amount of donations has declined from the previous Giving Day since the event’s inception in 2012.

This year’s results follow the University’s decision to postpone last year’s Giving Day in response to Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and campus protests.

A University spokesperson told Spectator at the time of the decision that it was not “the appropriate time to move forward” following “careful consideration and consultation with University and alumni leadership.”

Established in 2012, Giving Day has evolved into a landmark event on the University’s calendar, uniting students, faculty, and affiliates to support programs and initiatives across schools. The inaugural event raised $6.8 million from more than 5,000 gifts. By 2022, the figure surged to nearly $30 million in donations from 19,229 donors.

“We are grateful to our University-wide donor community for your generosity,” the website reads. “Thank you for changing lives that change the world.”

This year’s Giving Day introduced the “Unlock” Challenge, a rebranded version of the matching program that has been a staple of the event since its inception.

In a statement to Spectator, an alumni relations and development spokesperson wrote that the challenge “leverages all gifts – no matter the size – to acknowledge the broad support of our community.”

“Challenge funds are made possible by the generosity of donors across Columbia’s Schools, units, and programs to incentivize support for Giving Day,” the spokesperson wrote. “These funds motivate the community to make gifts on Giving Day, allowing us to have a real and immediate impact on the University at large.”

During the daylong event, 34 funds participated in online competitions and challenges designed to boost engagement and impact through leaderboards and matching gifts. The funds represented all of the University’s schools, Columbia Athletics, and University centers, institutes, and programs.

Columbia Athletics emerged as the top earner for the first time, raising nearly $4.6 million from 5,314 gifts. The achievement marks a 34 percent increase since 2022, setting a new record for the athletic department. Columbia’s football and women’s basketball teams raised the most money across programs.

Columbia College came in second, raising $3.5 million—a 5 percent decrease compared to 2022. Columbia College had been the top earner for 11 years in a row.

The School of Engineering and Applied Science claimed third place, raising $3.2 million, while the Law School and Barnard rounded out the top five, earning $3 million and $1.6 million, respectively. The Law School saw a 56 percent increase, while Barnard missed its goal of $2 million by over $300,000 and saw a 23.6 percent decline in funds raised from 2022.

Although the School of General Studies did not reach its gift goal, it landed sixth on the leaderboard with a 57 percent increase in donations, raising $1,420,931 through 223 contributions, with 163 donations going to the scholarships annual fund.

General Studies announced a $30 million investment on Sept. 27 to expand financial aid for high-need students over the next three years and to plan for a “dedicated residential building for the School,” Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch, GS/JTS ’90, and Executive Vice President of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Amy Hungerford wrote in a Sept. 26 email to the General Studies community.

Friends of the Medical Center, Arts Initiative, Center for the Study of Social Difference - Women Creating Change, Data Science Institute, and Columbia Health ranked as the lowest five funds in total donations this year—occupying similarly low posts compared to 2022.

Several Ivy League institutions faced disputes with donors during the last academic year, including at Columbia. Billionaire Leon Cooperman, Business ’67, withdrew his funding from the University last October.

Robert Kraft, CC ’63, trustee emeritus and CEO of the New England Patriots, announced in April that he was “not comfortable” supporting Columbia, citing “virulent hate” on campus. “I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff,” Kraft wrote.

Roy Vagelos, on the other hand, after announcing a historic $400 million gift from him and his wife Diana Vagelos to the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in a statement to the Financial Times, “Universities are presumably training people to do good things, to be involved, to try to keep us out of wars. The idea of stopping the functioning of a university because there’s a dispute among some people sounds like a ridiculous response. I was very happy to continue our donations and would urge others to do the same.”