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Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

Matching for Mission

Taking your seat at the table is an important first step in helping UD create a culture of philanthropy on campus. The next step is bringing others with you, and that was the goal of Matt Lambiase ’88 when he began making matching gifts to support UD during One Day, One Dayton.

Since 2019, alumni and friends have created 59 challenge and matching gifts to increase excitement and support during UD’s annual giving day. This year, Lambiase created a matching gift and then made an additional gift to ensure as many matching and challenge gifts as possible were met for maximum impact.

Matching and challenge gifts can unlock a ton of potential for any university, but every year a lot of this potential goes unrealized. Nationally, it is estimated that $4 billion to $7 billion goes unclaimed. Lambiase wanted to ensure that didn’t happen during One Day, One Dayton, so in addition to creating a matching gift to support one of his favorite programs, the University of Dayton Summer Appalachia Program run by Campus Ministry, he also made an extra gift late in the day so UD would receive the full benefit of every generous matching gift.

“I wanted to support other people’s passions at UD — to support them as well as the University — and to make sure all the matching gifts were met,” said Lambiase. “I just want us to do as much good for the University as possible.”

His strategy was a success, helping UD realize 6,634 individual donations adding up to more than $2.2 million in impact for UD. That will go a long way toward supporting UD’s Catholic, Marianist mission.

Lambiase’s support is indicative of the growing culture of philanthropy on campus that played a big role in One Day, One Dayton setting a new single-day donation record for the University. Life has taught him that when something works, you stick with it. And when something adds value to your life, you support it.

For Lambiase, that means giving back to the Marianist mission of the University, especially in difficult times. “We need to have the institutions like UD with strong values structured in community to lead the way and show people a path that’s different than the chaos in the world today.”

He has great respect for the Marianists and admires their humble dedication to lives of faith, service and education that continue to show the way forward for so many Flyers. “I am a very fortunate person, and the University of Dayton is important to me,” said Lambiase, who has made giving back to UD an annual tradition that he began as a senior at UD. When the consistency of his generosity was noted, Lambiase said, “It just underscores how much I value UD and my time there. It was a formative period for my life — for my success. And I just hope that UD can stay as welcoming and supportive of the students and community as it was when I attended.”

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