RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Athletics raised more than $800,000 to support Spider student-athletes during the University of Richmond's fifth annual #URHere Giving Day, the department announced Friday. The result was an increase of more than 17 percent from 2022, when Spider Athletics raised $683,000 on Giving Day, a record at the time.
"We're extremely fortunate to have a strong tradition of philanthropy and support for our Athletics program at Richmond," said Vice President and Director of Athletics John P. Hardt. "The results from this year's Giving Day are a great reminder of how many of our fans, friends, and family members are committed to providing our Spider student-athletes with the very best opportunities and experiences. Our gratitude extends to everyone who helped make Giving Day such an incredible success this year, from our development team, to our head coaches, and, of course, everyone who chose to donate, Thank you!"
This year's Giving Day was held on April 4-5, with more than 1,500 donors contributing to Richmond Athletics during that span, another record for the department.
"Past and present philanthropic support is what makes this place so special, and our fifth annual Giving Day is another example of why our Spider community is remarkable," said Associate Athletics Director for Development Brandon Hodgins. "Thank you to the many alumni, families, and friends who invested in our extraordinary young men and women. Together, we will accomplish our goal of providing one of the best student-athlete experiences in the country and help deliver our student-athletes to their next destination, fully prepared to reach their potential."
Over the last two years, contributions to Spider Athletics on Giving Day have increased by more than 65 percent from the 2021 total of $523,000 raised by department.
Richmond's varsity teams had the opportunity to earn an additional $25,000 in incentives provided by alumnus Rob Goergen, R'93. Spider Men's Lacrosse secured $20,000 of bonus funds by recording the most donors (215), the highest fundraising total ($171,018), and the biggest increase from last year's fundraising (382 percent). Women's tennis earned an additional $5,000 by registering the biggest increase in donors from 2022 (76%).
Men's Basketball ($167,845) joined Men's Lacrosse as programs to raise over $100,000. In addition to Men's Lacrosse, six other teams had more than 100 different donors during the event: Women's Lacrosse (173), Swimming & Diving (164), Men's Golf (141), Football (114), Women's Cross-Country and Track & Field (112), and Baseball (109).
