LA PLATA, Md. — The College of Southern Maryland Foundation raised a record $321,400 during its 24-hour Giving Tuesday campaign on Dec. 2, 2025, nearly doubling the $184,000 collected the previous year.
A total of 274 donors from across Southern Maryland and beyond participated in the online event, which featured Power Hours with extra prizes, Give Back Challenges, donation matches, and early giving opportunities. The effort set a new single-day fundraising high for the foundation that supports CSM students in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties.
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson praised the outpouring of community support.
“The generosity shown this Giving Tuesday is a powerful example of how the CSM community continues to step up for our students,” Wilson said. “This tremendous support shows that our community stands behind CSM and its students, believes in their potential, and is committed to investing in their success.”
Much of the money will flow into the unrestricted Hawk Fund, giving the college flexibility to address immediate student needs such as emergency tuition assistance, textbooks, technology, and stocking the Hawk Pantry that serves food-insecure students on all four campuses. Other gifts were directed to specific academic programs, departments, and named scholarships.
CSM Foundation Executive Director Susan Mudd Vogel noted the foundation awards an average of 800 scholarships each year and said every contribution moves a student closer to graduation.
“We are grateful for the participation and support we received for our Giving Tuesday campaign,” Vogel said. “Every gift brings a student closer to their academic goals. These contributions will help empower the future professionals who will one day strengthen our workforce and community.”
Giving Tuesday, held annually on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has grown into a global movement that follows Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Created in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in New York, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, the day encourages philanthropy and volunteerism during the holiday season.
The 2025 total of $321,400 marks the highest single-day haul in the CSM Foundation’s history and represents a 74 percent increase over the $184,000 raised during the 2024 campaign. Foundation officials said the momentum began with early giving that opened Nov. 25 and carried through the final minutes of Dec. 2.
The foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization separate from the college, relies entirely on private donations to supplement state and county funding for scholarships, program enhancements, and emergency aid.
Donations to the CSM Foundation remain tax-deductible and can be made year-round through the foundation’s website, by check, or by gifts of appreciated stock, planned giving, or employer-matching programs.
