Founders Day 2020: Heroes amidst a global crisis

We have decided to celebrate the anniversary of Catholic University's founding differently this year. Since we launched The Founders Day Giving Challenge in 2017, we've been touched by the enthusiasm and pride that our community members have brought to the challenge annually.

But given the global health crisis, a giving challenge is not an appropriate celebration this year. Instead, we will focus on some of the heroes within our community who are giving us hope and inspiration in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends who are embodying the founding principles of Catholic University in this time of crisis.

Although without the festivities of a challenge, we will continue to offer ways for you to support the University and our students. In response to your humbling questions about how to help students experiencing hardship, we are establishing new philanthropic funds and will share additional information about them next week. (Update on April 1, 2020: Contribute to Light the Way Crisis Response Fund.)

We thank our generous donors who responded to our mailing about this year's giving challenge, and we hope you — and everyone else who had planned to participate in the challenge — understand and agree with our decision to celebrate Founders Day differently this year. As in years past, this year's Founders Day will reflect your enthusiasm and pride for the University.

We look forward to celebrating Founders Day with you on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Until then, we send you and your family our prayers for health and financial well being during this crisis, and we thank you for your support of Catholic University.