The SIU Foundation celebrated the impact of giving across Southern Illinois University during its first Week of Philanthropy, Sept. 21-25.
The five-day celebration brought students, faculty, staff, donors and campus partners together to give back, express gratitude and recognize the generosity that supports SIU students and programs.
At the center of the week was the 11th SIU Day of Giving on Sept. 23. Donors from all 50 states made gifts to SIU, successfully Painting the Map Maroon. In total, 1,085 donors contributed $1,029,459.
“The energy around our first Week of Philanthropy was inspiring,” said Matt Kupec, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations and CEO of the SIU Foundation. “Throughout the week, we saw students thanking the donors who support them, faculty and staff giving back, and Salukis across the country coming together for SIU. Most importantly, it gave us an opportunity to say thank you to the people whose generosity makes so much possible across this university.”
Gratitude in action
The week began Monday by recognizing the campus partners and advocates who help make SIU Day of Giving possible.
Advocates visited the Tedrick Welcome Center to pick up Day of Giving materials, record video messages and learn more about ways to engage their networks. Faculty, staff and campus partners also had opportunities throughout the day to share messages of gratitude and encourage others to participate.
The focus turned to students Tuesday during the Student Scholarship Festival at the Tedrick Welcome Center.
More than 250 recipients of SIU Foundation scholarships stopped by throughout the day to write postcards expressing their gratitude to donors, record video messages and learn more about philanthropy and the role donors play in creating opportunities for Salukis.
During the 2025-26 academic year, the SIU Foundation awarded a record $6.9 million in scholarships to more than 2,200 students, representing nearly 19% of the student body.
Painting all 50 states maroon
The 11th SIU Day of Giving served as the anchor of Week of Philanthropy on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
This year, the SIU Foundation challenged Salukis to Paint the Map Maroon with a gift from every state.
“Seeing all 50 states represented was an incredible moment and a powerful demonstration of the reach of the Saluki family,” said Kathryn Sime, assistant vice chancellor for major and planned giving. “Day of Giving is about giving every Saluki the opportunity to support something that matters to them. This year, our donors came together from across the country to make an impact on students and programs throughout SIU.”
Several significant gifts highlighted the range of impact made possible through Day of Giving.
SIU Credit Union helped kick off the day with a $35,000 gift, including $20,000 for New Student Programs and $15,000 for Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center. The commitment continued the credit union’s longstanding support of programs that welcome students to SIU and create meaningful experiences beyond the classroom.
The Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA) and Southern Illinois Construction Advancement Program (SICAP) made a $500,000 commitment to establish the first endowed professorship in the College of Engineering, Computing, Technology and Mathematics. The SIBA and SICAP Endowed Professorship will support the School of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, providing permanent resources to strengthen faculty excellence, advance research and support student success.
Dr. Judy Drolet and Dr. Larry Townsend also made a lasting investment in SIU students and the health of Southern Illinois. They established an endowed scholarship for Accelerated Nursing students and committed to name the Nursing Exam Suites within the future Saluki Health & Wellness Hub in the Community Care and Education Center.
Together, the gifts demonstrate the many ways donors can make an impact at SIU, from scholarships and student experiences to faculty excellence, research, workforce development and community health.
Recognizing faculty and staff donors
On Thursday, the SIU Foundation recognized faculty and staff members who support the university through payroll deduction.
Donors were invited to the Tedrick Welcome Center to receive certificates of appreciation and gifts and learn more about the impact of their giving.
The day recognized employees who not only dedicate their careers to SIU but also choose to financially support its students, programs and mission.
Celebrating what philanthropy makes possible
Week of Philanthropy concluded Friday with a campuswide celebration at the Tedrick Welcome Center. Students, faculty, staff and donors gathered in the afternoon for refreshments, giveaways and ice cream.
Chancellor Austin A. Lane joined the celebration and thanked the SIU Foundation, donors and university community for contributing to SIU’s continued momentum.
“I have been doing this for 30-plus years in higher education, and I have never, ever seen a foundation and the employees within the foundation so passionate about wanting to win,” Lane said. “I can feel the momentum year after year after year.”
Lane said that momentum can be seen in enrollment, support from alumni and the generosity of donors who continue to invest in SIU and its students.
“Most importantly, you, the donors, the folks that give to the university, you’re seeing, hopefully, the return on investment,” Lane said. “Everything that you give, you can bet that we are good stewards of the financial resources that you give us to go out and recruit or support students.”
Lane also pointed to the growing engagement of SIU alumni and the importance of continuing that momentum.
“We’re going to continue to keep our foot on the gas,” Lane said. “We’re going to continue to engage you and others as much as we can because we have even bigger goals for this university. We’re just getting started.”
Sime closed the celebration by bringing the focus back to students and the gratitude they expressed throughout the week.
“We had over 250 students here on Tuesday for our Student Scholarship Festival, and every student was so appreciative of all the gifts that come in that help them reach their educational goals,” Sime said. “On behalf of them, I want to say to you all, thank you for all you do to make things possible here and to help our students achieve.”
The celebration capped an inspiring week filled with energy around giving back to SIU and thanking the donors whose generosity makes opportunities possible across the university.
Learn more about the impact of philanthropy at siuf.org.