Every gift, every volunteer and every connection helped shape an extraordinary year at Elon. Explore the 2025–26 Impact Report to see how the generosity of our community is creating opportunities for students and building a stronger future for the university.
This past fiscal year (2025-26) alumni, families, faculty, staff and friends supported Elon students through volunteering, donations and engaging with the community. Elon continues to be special because of the people that make it thrive.
As Elon prepares for the new academic year ahead, we celebrate the accomplishments and the incredible support of donors during this past fiscal year.
Learn more below about the impact that donors made in 2025-26.
Giving: How donors invested in students
Elon provides an exceptional education, unique in the opportunities that are provided to students from the very beginning. Donor support helps bridge the gap between an ordinary education and unlocking the potential of all that Elon has to offer. From hands-on learning and mentorship, to Elon Experiences like study abroad and research, students can take advantage of what makes Elon special with the help of donor funding.
Donor generosity from the 2025-26 fiscal year will continue to impact students for years to come. Here are just a few of the ways in which donors invested in students this past year:
- $31.8 million raised for students
- 6,337 alumni donors
- 4,208 parent and grandparent donors
- 1,021 faculty and staff donors
- 364+ funds impacted
- 11 new planned gifts totaling $5+ Million
- Record-breaking Elon Day 2026 raising $3.5 million
- Top funds supported: Elon’s Greatest Needs, Elon Student Scholarships, Academic Schools & Departments, The Phoenix Club and HealthEU
Student success: What donor gifts made possible
Thanks to donor support, Elon’s Odyssey Program reached a new milestone, welcoming the largest cohort in Elon history. You can learn more about this accomplishment on Today at Elon.
Donor generosity also led to a successful year for student-athletes. This year marked a 48% increase for annual giving to support Phoenix Athletics compared to just five years ago. Twenty student-athletes presented their research at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, and 93 student-athletes graduated in May 2026. All of this in addition to winning multiple CAA championship titles! You can learn more about the Phoenix Club impact online.
More than 1,500 students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas during Commencement 2026. Thanks to donor support, students were able to see their dreams realized. Visit Today at Elon to read the stories of graduating seniors to see how donors helped them along the way.
Community: How we strengthened Elon together
Elon’s network continues to thrive because of the engagement of alumni, families, faculty, staff and friends. Their involvement is what makes the university so special, strengthening our community and creating opportunities for future generations.
These accomplishments illustrate the tremendous impact of involvement with Elon:
Alumni
- 10,550 engaged alumni
- 186 alumni events with 3,547 attendees
- 2,427 alumni returned for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend
- 2,523 alumni served as volunteers
- 296 shared their love for Elon as Social Media Ambassadors
- 33 Women of Elon events with 368 attendees
- 811 participants in Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
- 1,523 alumni participated in Elon Q&A
- 67 reunion committee members
Families
- 6,881 Family Weekend attendees representing 1,939 families
- 32 Summer Welcome Events with 756 attendees in 23 States
- 364 “Ready, Set, Elon!” virtual attendees
- 116 FAMbassadors
- 7 parent Webinars with 967 Attendees
Faculty & Staff
- 42 Giving Captains
- 4 Co-Chairs for Faculty & Staff Giving
- 105 Elon Day Champions
Together, these accomplishments tell the story of an extraordinary Elon community and its enduring commitment to giving back. Thank you to our 2025–26 fiscal year donors for investing in our students and their future.