The University of Idaho has outlined eight priorities for Giving Tuesday, a global generosity event held the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, focusing on philanthropy and altruism.
“The generosity of the Vandal Family demonstrates that Vandals take care of one another,” Dean of Student Affairs Blaine Eckles said in a Dec. 1 press release.
Giving Tuesday is Dec. 2, but the online UI giving portal is open and receives daily donations from the UI and Moscow community.
For Giving Tuesday, UI has outlined the President’s Excellence Fund; Access for All Scholarship Fund; Bruce & Kathy Pitman Fund for Student Emergencies; Vandal Food Pantry; Vandal Scholarship Fund; Vandal Marching Band; Terry Armstrong Found Money Fund of Idaho; and UI Parent & Family Association as priorities.
“Donor gifts are the reason we can provide meals from the Vandal Food Pantry, small grants for emergencies and scholarships that allow students to stay enrolled,” Eckles said.
Giving Tuesday started as a hashtag in 2012 to promote generosity following two of the largest shopping days of the year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Since then, Giving Tuesday has grown into a global event that encourages people to give back to their communities and to the world at large.
“Generosity isn’t just about money — it’s about connection and community,” said Asha Curran, Giving Tuesday’s chief executive officer in a press release from December 2024. “In a world that can feel increasingly divided, we’re seeing people unite through simple acts of kindness that have profound ripple effects.”
Since 2012, Giving Tuesday donations have totaled more than $18.5 billion, with funds distributed to U.S. charities and other nonprofit organizations. In 2024, an estimated $3.6 billion was donated. This was a 16% increase from Giving Tuesday 2023 that totaled $3.1 billion in donations.
The UI giving portal can be accessed at giving.uidaho.edu.