April 22, 2025
Ferris State raises nearly $290,000 for student-focused causes during One Day for Dawgs
Highlighted by a record-setting number of causes and donors, Ferris State University raised $288,494 during its annual day of giving, One Day for Dawgs.
The 93 One Day for Dawgs causes attracted an 11-percent increase in donors and a 9-percent increase in gifts during the April 9 event.
“Everyone at Ferris State University, but primarily our students, benefit from One Day for Dawgs,” said Jennifer Yontz-Barger, Ferris State’s Annual Giving manager. “Through One Day for Dawgs, money is raised for scholarships, programs, student organizations, individual departments and anyone who needs extra funding to help with their projects or organizations.”
Ferris State’s Kendall College of Art and Design participated in the excitement of One Day for Dawgs this year by giving out t-shirts and other items to students in their Grand Rapids location while fundraising for its student food pantry – The STASH.
Students took a particular interest this year as their vote for a favorite helped generate additional financial support through President Pink’s Picks, a sponsorship challenge Ferris State President Bill Pink created for students. Pink chose four causes to support and gave students the option to vote on the one they liked most. He awarded a $500 bonus to the cause that received the most student votes: The Ferris Foundation Need-Based Scholarship Endowment.
“Students at both the Ferris and Kendall campus also filled out thank you postcards which will be sent to our donors throughout the year, and they created live thank you videos that were sent to our donors that day,” Yontz-Barger said, adding that the challenges were met and received April 9, a bonus for the university and students.
Ferris State Athletics causes performed well, as usual, during One Day for Dawgs. Yontz-Barger said that the women’s athletics team took top spots in 2025. The Bulldog women’s soccer team raised $18,000-plus from 73 donors, women’s volleyball, the 2024 NCAA Division II Midwest Region champions, brought in over $10,300 with 115 donors. The women’s basketball team, which had another strong season on the hardwood earning a 21-12 record and an NCAA Tournament bid, had 92 donors and raised $13,125.
Challenge gifts were given by various donors to help encourage giving for different causes. One of the challenges was the Raise the Bar Challenge, which went to the team that had the largest increase in donors over the previous year. Volleyball won this year by a total of 115 percent over 2024 donors, earning an additional $1,000.
Another popular challenge was the Kickoff Challenge. The first four gifts teams received on April 9, determined by timestamp, unlocked a bonus $250 toward their cause. These groups were: the women’s golf team, The Fund for Ferris, Bulldog Broadcasting and the College of Pharmacy.
To view the additional One Day for Dawgs 2025 challenges, and to see the winners,
visit the website.
On the academic front, the new Construction Technology and Management Alumni Network
raised $12,670 via 68 donors as a new cause.
The Bulldog Basic Needs Alliance, which provides emergency assistance to current students facing food or housing insecurity that could jeopardize their ability to stay in school, raised $9,970 from 85 donors during One Day for Dawgs.
“Because all causes flow through the university, our students end up benefitting in some way,” Yontz-Barger said. “One Day for Dawgs has become a very exciting day for all campus participants and continues to grow each year.
Click One Day for Dawgs to learn more about Ferris State’s annual day for giving.