OU Giving Day 2024 Sets New University Fundraising Record

The University of Oklahoma has set a record for fundraising in a single day, raising $26,648,681 during Giving Day 2024. OU received nearly 7,100 gifts including support from all 50 states and 16 countries across the globe.

OU’s annual Giving Day is the university's largest single fundraising event of the year, uniting the entire OU community to support students, departments and programs across all three OU campuses.

During the 24-hour span, OU received 36 gifts of $100,000 or more, with 23 of those gifts each coming in at $250,000 and above. Gifts of $1 million or more included:

• $5 million from Ronnie and Shahnaaz Irani for the Lead On campaign.
• $2.4 million from Suhas Patwardhan toward the naming of the Shyam Dev Patwardhan Department of Philosophy.
• $2 million from Charles Brown to support the Gallogly College of Engineering and OU Athletics.
• $1.2 million from Paul and Natalie Buckthal toward Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
• $1.025 million from Chuck and Mary Ellen Doyle to support OU Army ROTC, OU Football, the Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication and the Michael F. Price College of Business.
• $1 million from John and Cashel Newhouse to support a chair in pediatric medicine at OU-Tulsa’s School of Community Medicine.
• $1 million from Virgil Beasley to support the School of Social Work.
• A $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to support women’s basketball.

The success of Giving Day 2024 further powered the university’s Lead On campaign, which is more than halfway to its goal of raising $2 billion in support of students, faculty and programs.  Lead On reached $1 billion in March and has already generated more than $240 million in student support.

“Giving Day continues to be an incredible reminder of the strength, generosity and vision of the OU Family, which again proved its remarkable support for our Lead On campaign,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “With more than $1 billion raised toward our campaign goal, we are more certain than ever that our OU Family has the capability to change the world with extraordinary learning opportunities, groundbreaking research, a strong university community and the support of those who believe in this work. The next $1 billion is well within our reach.”

OU’s annual Giving Day is a time for students, faculty and staff, alumni and friends to come together for 24 hours in support of the university and their favorite causes. The event – complete this year with a movie night and social media giving challenges – promotes and educates the OU Family on the importance of philanthropy.

“We are grateful for the incredible generosity of OU’s vast, dedicated community, which has made this Giving Day another record-breaking success,” said Amy Noah, vice president and chief advancement officer for the OU Foundation. “Giving Day and the philanthropic support it brings each year are absolutely essential to so many functions of our university, from the activities of our students to the work of our esteemed faculty and the many programs that ensure our university’s success.”

For more information about how to support the University of Oklahoma and the Lead On campaign, visit leadonou.org.