Wittenberg University is celebrating a record-breaking Commit to Witt, the University’s annual day of giving. Alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff, and students gave like Tigers and passed their light yesterday, demonstrating how much they believe in Wittenberg’s mission and life-changing education.
The Wittenberg community raised a total of $1,104,818 surpassing the previous record by more than $400,000. The event included more than $450,000 in challenges and matches established by alumni, board members, senior staff, and so many others. The campaign also received 1,377 gifts, and the totals are expected to grow slightly over the coming days as mail is processed.
A lead challenge by the Board of Directors and surprise leadership-level gift from graphic design major Meg Frost, class of 1994, who served as keynote speaker for the Class of 2024 Commencement, contributed to the day’s excitement.
Director of Product Design for Apple, Inc., Frost believes strongly that the liberal arts and technology make the best combination for success in Silicon Valley and across the tech sector. “I made the donation to honor my Wittenberg graphic design professor, George Ramsay, who helped pioneer computer graphics in the Wittenberg art department, laying a strong foundation for my career," Frost said.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the alumni and friends who supported Commit to Witt this year,” said Melanie Norton, Wittenberg’s interim vice president for advancement. “The stellar response to Thursday’s outreach reflects the impact of the Wittenberg experience."
“We also want to thank the team in Advancement and Alumni Relations, as well as the Alumni Board and their leadership, for their remarkable work and resilience,” added Dana Cummings, Wittenberg’s interim vice president for annual giving. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Throughout the day, participants competed for ambassador bragging rights and raced each other to the top of several leaderboards. Alumni attended regional events in Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix, Arizona; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and New York, New York, as well as a pre-Commit to Witt event hosted by the Seattle Alumni Chapter in Bellevue, Washington. Two new events this year, the basketball Shoot-a-Thon and Where’s Ezry the Tiger, were particularly popular on campus.
“Wittenberg is thankful for alumni and friends who served as Commit to Witt ambassadors,” said Holly Gersbacher, executive director of alumni relations. “Our ambassadors shared social media content, generated more engagement both on and off campus, and encouraged giving among their peers. Their efforts were rewarded with an impressive response.”
“The response to this year’s Commit to Witt testifies to the strength of the Wittenberg community,” President Mike Frandsen said. “Every gift makes a difference in the lives of our students and reaffirms our legacy of passing our light for decades to come. What a wonderful tribute in honor of our University.”
Although Commit to Witt 2025 has ended, those interested in participating can still make an impact on current and future Tigers by making a gift at wittenberg.edu/commit2witt.
