The University of Houston-Downtown’s 2025-2026 Give To Gators campaign offers a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together with purpose: over the course of six weeks, 217 employees donated or pledged $46,000 to various university funds. This puts the program at an employee participation of 20.5%, up 13% over last year.
“This support is a powerful expression of belief in our students, our colleagues, and the future of this university,” noted Jay Zambrano, Vice President of Advancement and University Relations.
Give To Gators allows donors to choose where their contributions go. That flexibility puts intention at the heart of every gift, allowing employees to support the causes that resonate most deeply with them. In the past, thanks to the gifts from faculty and staff, the W.I. Dykes Library was able to purchase various tools supporting student success.
During the 2025 campaign, the top funds supported by faculty and staff were Experimentium: Inclusive Virtual Labs, the MDCOB Excellence Fund, the Dr. Kevin Barksdale Memorial Endowment, the General Scholarship Fund, and the Gator Emergency Fund.
“Our employees’ generosity directly strengthens UHD and changes lives for our students and their families,” explained Sandra Jacobson, Associate Director of Annual Giving. From expanding access to resources to easing financial barriers, these funds reflect various means of fulfilling UHD’s mission of “nurturing talent, generating knowledge, and driving socioeconomic mobility for a just and sustainable future.”
A couple of offices around the university blew past expectations with their giving. Every single employee from the Office of Advancement and the Office of Study Abroad contributed to the campaign! Also, faculty and staff in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, and 16 other offices met or surpassed the goal of 33% participation. Employees from the College of Sciences & Technology ended up contributing the highest dollar amount with an impressive $12,323, which accounted for over 25% of the 2025 total donations.
The Give To Gators campaign happens through the efforts of many volunteers. They include the Give To Gators Committee, the Pie It Forward crew, now former Staff Council President Adrian Bermudez, who set up a matching challenge, and many others behind the scenes.
To all involved, from donors to volunteers: Thank you for making Give To Gators a success!