A Record-Breaking ONE DAY for Montclair

In a resounding show of support and school spirit, the Montclair community came together for its annual day of giving, ONE DAY for Montclair, raising more than $700,000 to empower students and fund programs that shape their futures.

“One Day For Montclair is a day where our entire community — alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents — comes together to make a real impact for our students and programs,” says Kara Baldwin Brennan ‘92, Director of Annual Giving. “It’s a chance for everyone to feel part of something bigger than themselves.”

Students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends of the university rallied on April 24 to support scholarships, academic programs, student services and campus initiatives. The total, $714,000, marks a record-breaking amount for the university’s annual giving day.

Gifts poured in from across the country, with thousands participating through online giving, champion challenges and on campus during World’s Fair Day. Special matches and challenges through the day encouraged donors to support areas they were passionate about, including scholarships, athletic support and student resources.

“ONE DAY for Montclair is more than just a fundraiser, it’s a celebration of what makes this university so special and helps students like me succeed,” said Matthew Moreau ‘25. “It has impacted our community so positively, opening doors for programs and student initiatives.”
 

Photos from ONE DAY for Montclair and Worlds Fair Day

An Athletic Challenge brought friendly competition across all sports teams and programs thanks to the generosity of Foundation Board Member Judith Schumacher Tilton. In a tight competition for the most donors, Football came away with the win to receive an additional $2,500. Foundation Board Chair Greg Collins ’79 challenged donors to come together to raise $1,500 to unlock $1,500 for the EOF Book Fund and $1,000 was unlocked from Foundation Board member Beth Gottung ’19 MA for the Emergency Scholarship Fund when $1,000 was raised. These are just some examples of how the challenges made for a very exciting day. 

“We were so happy to once again promote participation with the Give a Latte Challenge, sponsored by our community partner, Java Love Roasting Co.,” added Brennan. “Give up your latte for one day, one week or one year, and receive $5 off at Jave Love. We are so grateful for their annual support of ONE DAY!”

The team behind the team, our ONE DAY Champions, took to social media and email to encourage others to participate in the day. Supplied with a toolkit of resources, our Champions were able to easily connect with others to promote ONE DAY. “It is important for me to give back and I always encourage others to join me,” said  Huron Benson ’00, a ONE DAY champion.

Campus was buzzing with excitement. The impact of the day was felt throughout the campus community as we celebrated World’s Fair Day, an annual celebration of Montclair’s vibrant cultural community. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff gathered on Alumni Green to sample international foods, such as Korean BBQ bowls, tacos carnitas and samosas, and to enjoy performances by Montclair’s student organizations.

Additionally, Montclair faculty and staff brought their young Red Hawks to campus to celebrate Bring Your Child to Work Day. The energy from families, students, faculty and staff helped to spur support for many of the campus funds, which created exciting table activities based on donations to that program. 

In total, over 2,000 donors came together to support Montclair on ONE DAY. We are incredibly grateful for this show of generosity and can’t wait to start planning for next year! Please save the date for Thursday, April 23, 2026, for ONE DAY for Montclair, when we will celebrate our 10th anniversary of giving. Let’s go Red Hawks!