Alumni, parents and other donors raised over $1.4 million during ACU Gives, the university’s annual day of giving, designed to support scholarships, campus programs and student organizations.

The campaign, which now runs for two days, encourages members of the ACU community to contribute to areas of campus that have impacted them.

Donations collected during the event helped fund a variety of initiatives across the university, including academic departments, student organizations, athletics and emergency support funds.

Samantha Adkins, executive director of donor relations and annual giving, said the campaign began in 2017 as a single 24-hour giving day with just three designated funds.

Over time, it has grown significantly in both length and participation.

“It started in 2017 with three funds that you could give to for the day, and it really was just a 24-hour period,” Adkins said.

Today, the campaign has expanded to nearly 40 highlighted funds while still allowing donors to contribute to any area of the university.

The event is now called “1906 Minutes for ACU,” referencing the university’s founding year and spanning two days.

“We just thought it would be a fun way to increase the time, but also tie into ACU’s history,” Adkins said.

The funds include initiatives across academic colleges, athletics, and scholarships, such as the Exceptional Scholarship Fund, which raised over $250,000 for undergraduate students.

Some of the funds supported during ACU Gives also focus on service opportunities for students.

Zane McGee, director of the Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service, said donations through the campaign help prepare and send students to serve communities around the world.

The program raised $20,125 this year, beating its goal of $20,000, according to the ACU Gives website.

“ACU Gives allows our center to recruit, equip and send students to work alongside their global neighbors for the betterment of their communities,” McGee said. “We believe that when students engage in Christ-like service, it not only draws people closer to God, but also produces tangible good for those whom we encounter.”

McGee said the goal this year is to raise more than $20,000 to support student mission opportunities, supported in part by two donor families who offered a $10,000 matching gift.

“These funds from ACU Gives improve the equipping of students for well-formed service in the image of Christ,” McGee said.

Anthony Egbo, former football player and director of the Wildcat Annual Fund, said the success of this year’s campaign, including the men’s basketball fund nearly doubling its goal from $130,000 to almost $256,000, reflects growing confidence in ACU athletics during a time of change.

“I think what it says is that people believe in what we’re doing in athletics,” Egbo said. “College athletics has changed a lot over the last couple of years, and for us to stay relevant while still doing things our way, it requires increased support.”

Egbo said the donors are recognizing the shifting landscape of college sports, including the rise of NIL, conference realignment and new financial models, and are choosing to invest in ACU’s mission-driven approach.

“The community is really getting behind that vision,” he said.

Funds raised through ACU Gives will have a direct impact on student-athletes, supporting both their athletic performance and personal development. Egbo said donations help provide opportunities such as mission trips, faculty upgrades and expanded resources for teams.

Egbo said programs are already seeing tangible improvements, including a new weight room for multiple sports and planned upgrades to the track and football facilities. Other investments include enhanced gear, marketing efforts and increased programming focused on life skills and spiritual formation.

“It’s mission trips, developing life skills, it’s jerseys, it’s facilities, it’s nutrition,” Egbo said. “A lot of it you’ll see visibly, but a lot of it is internal work that we do with our athletes.”