All In 2026

Drake’s young alumni are stepping up and All In is your chance to be part of it. Ben Weinberg, AS’17 and Isabelle, PharmD'22 and Alex Ghekas, BN'19, are challenging graduates from 2016 and beyond to show their Bulldog pride in action. When 100 young alumni make a gift, they’ll unlock an additional $1,800 to support Drake. Every gift makes a difference. Your participation fuels opportunities for today’s students, strengthens our campus community, and proves that young alumni are already leading the way.

Drake University faculty and staff go All In for our students every day, opening doors to opportunity and shaping the moments that define their Drake experience. During All In, there is an opportunity to demonstrate that same commitment through collective support. If 150 faculty and staff members make a gift, an additional $3,500 will be unlocked for Drake, thanks to the generosity of Deneen Dygert, AS'87, MSE'96, Associate Director of Admission and Jeffrey A. Kappen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management and International Business. Their generosity reflects a deep belief in the strength of the Drake community. Join colleagues in helping reach this goal. Every gift, no matter the amount, moves Drake forward.

We’re in the final two hours of All In and every gift counts! From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the President’s Circle Board will match all gifts up to $13,000, doubling your impact in these crucial last moments. This is your last chance to be part of something big and open doors for the next generation of Bulldogs. Let’s finish strong, make an impact, and show how Bulldogs can rally together!

Drake fans and supporters are True Blue Bulldogs – just like our student-athletes! Starting now, every gift to the Bulldog Club will be matched up to $20,000, thanks to another group of True Blue Bulldogs - Chris, BN’71, MBA’74 and Belinda Green, Bob, BN’69, JD’74 and Karen Stuyvesant, and Andy, BN82, and Mary Swanson!

Your gift to the Men’s Basketball team will go further during All In! Bryan, ED’84, MSE’94 and Carla Moon, Jim Pagliai, BN’82, MBA’86, Louie Laurent, JO'76 and Anna Mari Martinez, '85, and Rich, BN’71, and Jackie Siebert are leading the way with a challenge match of $20,000! All gifts to Men’s Basketball will be matched dollar-for-dollar during All In.

Elevate the IX celebrates and advances the impact of women in Drake Athletics, honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX and Drake’s nine NCAA Division I women’s teams. This initiative invites the Drake community to support our women student-athletes and help shape their future. During All In, your gift to Elevate the IX will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $13,000, thanks to the generosity of Rich, BN’71, and Jackie Siebert and Peggy Fisher, FA’70, and Larry Stelter!

During All In, your gift to Men's Golf will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000, thanks to the generosity of Drake alum and American professional golfer, Zach Johnson and his wife Kim! In addition to a Drake degree, Zach has 12 victories on the PGA Tour, including two major championships, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open championship. He also captained the US squad at the 2023 Ryder Cup!

A Bulldog education wouldn’t be possible for our students without the love and support of their parents and families. All In is the perfect time to honor your student’s efforts and celebrate all that makes their Drake experience exceptional. When you give back to enhance the experience for all Drake students during All In, Jayson and Amy Bales, proud parents of Bennett, class of 2027, and Sher and Joel Thomsen, proud parents of Heath, class of 2027, will match your gifts up to $3,500!

Thanks to the generosity of Drake fans Fred and Connie Crawford, all gifts to Drake Softball during All In will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000!

Gifts made to our Women's Track, Field, and Cross Country program are doubled during All In thanks to a generous matching gift from Sally Davis, FA’83, MSE’86. The first $2,500 in gifts will be matched by Sally!

During All In, every student gift will be matched up to $2,000 through The Caldbeck Challenge, doubling your impact and showing the power of student giving! The Diane K. Caldbeck Student Philanthropy Challenge was funded through the generosity of Kelly Caldbeck, PharmD’01, Peter Caldbeck, JO’03, and Megan Caldbeck, JO’05, in honor of their mother, proud Drake retiree, alumna, and 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Diane Anagnos Caldbeck, ED'72.

Drake Women’s Soccer has a $7,500 goal for All In, and two anonymous donors are doubling the impact! Every gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $7,500 — let’s rally together and unlock the full challenge!

The Drake Relays is truly “America’s Athletic Classic.” Thanks to the generosity of Pat, PH'84 and Annette, FA'85 Verdun, and Dennis and Diane Young, all gifts will be matched up to $10,000 during All In!

It has been an extraordinary year for the Drake Football team as they secured their third consecutive conference title! In celebration of the season, all gifts to the football program will be matched up to $6,000. Thanks to former Drake football players Adam Boon, Ernie Dippel, Scott Petkas, and Brandon Choos for their generous matching gifts!

It’s not too late to go All In for Drake football. Gifts made to the football program will now be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000, thanks to the generosity of our friends and football fans, Cathy, MPA’86 and Steve Lacy!

The President’s Circle represents Drake’s most dedicated leaders, whose generosity drives the university forward. During All In, your leadership gift of $1,000 or more to support the operational needs of Drake makes an even bigger impact! If 50 donors step up with a President’s Circle-level gift, an additional $20,000 will be unlocked—thanks to the generosity of our President’s Circle Board. The President’s Circle Board represents a cross section of our leadership donors and is made up of 17 loyal Drake donors. Learn more about the Board here: https://alumni.drake.edu/PCBoard

Director of Athletics Brian Hardin and his wife, Cara, are especially proud of our student-athletes' determination, tenacity, and grit. Their accomplishments in competition, in the classroom, and in the community are nothing short of extraordinary – and your support helps them every step of the way. In recognition of our teams’ dedication and your unwavering support, Brian and Cara will contribute an additional $5,000 if 250 donors give to the Bulldog Club during All In.

Fifty years of memories, friendships, and impact—now it’s time to pay it forward! In honor of their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1976 has a special challenge: Thanks to the generosity of Doug, BN’75, and Peggy Behrens Person, BN’76, MSE’96, all gifts will be matched up to $5,000 during All In! Let’s make this milestone count—give today and leave a lasting legacy for future generations of Drake students.

In celebration of the Emeritus Faculty members whose distinguished careers have shaped the fabric of Drake University, Dean Emerita Dr. Renae Chesnut, PH'85, MBA'85, EdS'96, EdD'98 will match all gifts made during All In by Emeritus Faculty members up to $1,500. Our Emeritus Faculty are invaluable, highly distinguished scholars who continue to drive innovation, research, and mentorship even after retirement. We are grateful for this group of thought leaders and their contributions to the University we all love so much.

Go All In…Again! We are grateful to all of you who have already given to Drake this fiscal year. If you’d still like to be counted for All In, this challenge is for YOU! If 100 donors who have already made gifts to the University this fiscal year (7/1/25 – 6/30/26) make an additional gift during All In, an additional $9,000 will be unlocked for Drake! Thank you to our generous donors for making this challenge possible – Nikki, JO’03, and Jay Syverson, BN’02, JD’09, Karen Branding, LA’82, and Mark and Susan Becker, proud parents of 2016 Drake graduate, Alyssa.

In celebration of the 13th year of All In, 1,300 gifts in 24 hours will unlock $130,000 in matching funds for Drake! This match is made possible through the generosity of Joe Aiello, BN’80, Mark Ernst, BN'80, Peggy Fisher, FA’70 and Larry Stelter, Doug Zinser, AS’96, and an anonymous alumni couple. Every gift, no matter the size, brings us closer to unlocking these critical funds. Let’s rally together and open doors for future generations of Bulldogs!

The first gifts of All In set the stage for a powerful 24 hours! In celebration of the 13th year, every donation made from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $13,000, thanks to the generosity of Board of Trustees Chair, Paul Schickler, BN’74, MBA’83, and his wife Claudia. Your gift builds momentum, inspires others, and helps make All In a success. Let’s start strong and fuel the excitement of All In!

There’s no better time to make your first-ever gift to Drake! During All In, President Marty Martin will match all first-time gifts up to $5,000, doubling the impact of your contribution. Take your first step in being counted among our generous donors – make your gift today!

Your gift to the Bulldog Club fuels our student-athletes, providing them with the resources, training, and support they need to excel on the field, in the classroom, and beyond. Thanks to the generosity of Ross, BN'73, MBA'75, and Gloria, BN'79, Sales and John, BN’66, and Judy Schneller, BN’65 all gifts to the Bulldog Club will be matched up to $20,000, essentially doubling your donation!

Support the Bulldog Club and double your impact! Thanks to the generosity of Rick, JO’70 and Marcia Wanamaker, all gifts will be matched up to $6,000, providing student-athletes with the resources they need to succeed. Make your gift today and help fuel the future of Drake Athletics!

We met the challenge for Men’s Basketball but aren’t done yet! Thanks to another generous group of loyal Bulldog fans, Dean, LA’74, and Margie, ED’76, Rowland and Mike, BN’78, and Margaret Nixon, all gifts to Men’s Basketball will be matched up to $20,000!

All gifts made to Women's Golf will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000, thanks to the generosity of John, BN’93, and Amy Pittman.

All gifts made to the Bulldog Men's Soccer team during All In will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000, through the generosity of former Drake soccer player Adam Zenor, AS’05.

Celebrate a winning season for the Drake women’s volleyball program by going All In! Thanks to a challenge match from Pat, PH’84, and Annette, FA’85, Verdun and Joyce Rorabaugh, all gifts made to Volleyball during All In will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $13,000!

All gifts made to Men's Track, Field, and Cross Country during All In will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,500, thanks to the generosity of Mike, LA'80, JD'84 and Sharon, BN'81, MBA'84 Fitzpatrick.

Thanks to the generous support of Drake fans Chuck and Janet Haas, all gifts to Drake Rowing during All In will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $5,000!

Thanks to the generosity of Tony Martinez, all gifts to Drake Women’s Tennis during All In will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $2,500!

Support Men’s Tennis and double your impact! Thanks to a challenge from a generous donor who’d like to remain anonymous, all gifts made to the Men’ s Tennis program will be matched up to $2,500!

All gifts made to Women’s Basketball during All In will now be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $15,000 thanks to our loyal fans and friends Gary, BN’72, and Melissa Porter and Joe, JO’91, and Tiffan Yamen.

Let’s hear it for Nate and Julie Schneider! They’ve agreed to match all gifts to the football program, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000!

It’s time to turn up the spirit! From 6:30–7:30 p.m., your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2,000, thanks to the generosity of Tom, BN’14, MBA’16, and Sarah Florian, AS’12 and Niki, JO’08, MCL’15 and Ryan Smith. Show your spirit, rally your classmates, and help us unlock this challenge before the hour is up!

Pulling an All Nighter? Here’s your chance to make it count! If 70 donors make gifts between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., a $5,000 challenge gift from Lloyd, JO'75 and Colleen Fry and the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation will be unlocked. Make your gift and turn those late hours into lasting impact!

Success on the court takes sustained effort and resources. Be one of 15 people to support Women’s Basketball and unlock $5,000 to support the program thanks to a generous unlocking gift from Ed, LA’64, JD’67, and Barb Sease!

Let’s keep the momentum going! Every gift made between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. will be matched up to $6,000, thanks to the generosity of Carrie Huff, BN ‘85 and Rachel, AS ’08, JO ’08, BN ’10 and Jordan Bruns, PH ’10. Your support in these early hours fuels the day ahead—make your gift now, double your impact, and help push All In even further!

Drake University is a proud tradition for the Farmer, LeFort, and Verlengia families, spanning generations of Bulldogs. Now they’re inviting you to help carry that legacy forward. During Legacy Hours (2:30–4:30 p.m.), every gift, up to $10,000, will be matched by these generous legacy families, doubling your impact for Drake. Let’s honor our history, fuel our future, and show what Bulldogs can achieve together. The following are the 2026 Legacy Challenge family members: Jim, ED ’90, ED ’95 and Patti Verlengia; Chris, JO’06, MCL ’13 and Ayden Verlengia, ED ’06, MSE ’13; Toni, JO’99 and Christopher White; Andy, JO’02 and Marina Verlengia; John, AS ’92 and Jill Farmer, JO ’91; Peyton, PH ’19 and Mark Reiter, JO ’15; Jane Farmer, BN ’22; Paul, JO ’91 and Christine LeFort, ED ’92; Quinn LeFort, BN ’24; Ryan LeFort, JO ’21.