During Hornet Athletics Giving Day, we ask alumni and friends to make a gift in support of Kalamazoo College Athletics. We use targeted emails, social media posts, videos and advocacy to get the message out. Coaches, athletics staff and advocates can help promote the day by participating in personalized outreach. This might include encouraging your team(s), teammates and friends to share the College’s social media posts, create your own posts, and create giving challenges and donation matching. Thank you for stepping forward to build awareness and promote these giving efforts!
On this page you will find:
- Resources for advocates and coaches
Hornet Athletics Giving Day is Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Goal: $175,000
Resources for Advocates and Coaches
Responsibilities
- Use social media, email, text and/or phone calls to inform your teams, teammates, K friends and extended circles about Hornet Athletics Giving Day. Encourage them to make a gift when the day arrives.
- Please consider making a gift and using it as a match or challenge to encourage your teammates and K friends to give. You’ll find instructions below.
- Continue to promote Hornet Athletics Giving Day via social media and other contacts throughout the day.
- Show appreciation by thanking donors who have responded to your outreach.
Advocates: Two Steps to Getting Started
Step 1: Creating a Matching Gift or Challenge
As advocates, you can further inspire your teammates and K friends by creating a matching gift or challenge. Matches and challenges are similar, but there is a key difference:
- Matching Gifts are made on a per-donor or per-dollar basis:
- “I will match up to $500 dollar-for-dollar for the next $500 that is donated to Women’s Basketball.”
- Challenges are milestone-based:
- “If 50 people donate to Men’s Lacrosse, I will give $250.”
We recommend you make your match or challenge as simple as possible.
Step 2: Plan Your Outreach
After you have made your match or challenge on the campaign webpage:
- Use the communication timeline and sample social media posts for your outreach.
- Download one of our social media images to include with your messages.
- Don’t forget to use your giving link to track your progress on the day!
Communication Timeline
Advocates and coaches are encouraged to share an awareness or “save the date” post in advance of the day and post throughout Hornet Athletics Giving Day itself. Please share your gratitude with your donors on Thursday, February 19. See our recommended communication timeline below.
| Date | Content |
|---|---|
| Sometime between February 2-11 | Save the Date awareness message |
| Tuesday, February 17 | Reminder: Tomorrow is the Day |
| Wednesday, February 18 in the morning | Day of Announcement and link to campaign |
| Wednesday, February 18 in the afternoon/evening | Your personal student-athlete story and link to give |
| Thursday, February 19 in the afternoon | Campaign results and a message of gratitude |
Social Media Posts and Images – Instructions and Key Resources
Hornet Athletics Giving Day URL
kzoo.edu/hornetathleticsgivingday
This URL/campaign link is the main giving page for Hornet Athletics Giving Day. A pre-launch campaign page is in place until February 17 to allow for early gifts to be accepted and matches/challenges to be set up.
Sharing the College’s Posts
K’s social media accounts will be used for Hornet Athletics Giving Day awareness and day of posts. You are encouraged to share the College’s posts on your own social accounts or team pages! When using your personal accounts, tagging folks is also a great way to get their attention!
Kalamazoo College Social Media Accounts
Kalamazoo College Athletics Social Media Accounts
Creating Your Social Media Posts
Alumni Advocates
We encourage you to share posts and photos from your days as a K student-athlete. How did your student-athlete experience support your life after graduation? What memories and lessons in character, leadership, sportsmanship and academic excellence would you share?
Coaches
We encourage you to share posts and photos of your team and their lives as student-athletes. How does the student-athlete experience support their lives after K? What lessons in character, leadership, sportsmanship and academic excellence would you share with the Hornet community?
You are also invited to use the sample posts below, as is or personalized in your own voice—emojis encouraged!
You can use #HornetAthleticsGivingDay in all of your social posts and include a link to the campaign’s page: kzoo.edu/hornetathleticsgivingday.
Sample Social Media Posts
Awareness Post
Post sometime between February 2-11
Option 1
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 18 and join me in supporting [insert Kalamazoo College Athletics or your team]! Let’s help K’s next generations of leaders soar by making a gift on #HornetAthleticsGivingDay!
Option 2
Mark your calendars for Wed, Feb 18! Support [Kalamazoo College Athletics/your team] and help fuel K student-athletes’ success on & off the field. Make a gift on #HornetAthleticsGivingDay!
Reminder Post
Post on: Tuesday, February 17
Option 1
Tomorrow is #HornetAthleticsGivingDay! Gifts help to launch opportunities for K student-athletes so they can become the leaders of tomorrow.
Option 2
Join us tomorrow for #HornetAthleticsGivingDay! Your support extends beyond the classroom to the fields and courts—where leadership takes flight.
Morning Post
Post on: Wednesday, February 18th
Option 1
It’s #HornetAthleticsGivingDay! Your generosity makes an immediate impact in the lives of K’s student-athletes who inspire us every day. Support them with your gift and help them take flight!
Option 2
It’s go time—Hornet Athletics Giving Day is here! Your gift helps provide the opportunities that shape K’s student-athletes into the leaders of tomorrow. Support the orange and black today! [insert one orange and one black heart emojis]
Option 3
Give K’s student-athletes the lift they need to lead boldly in competition, in the classroom and the community. Join us in making your gift by midnight today!
Afternoon/Evening Posts
Post on: Wednesday, February 18th
Option 1
It’s not about the size of the gift—it’s about showing up. Join the Hornet community today as we rally together in support of K’s student-athletes. Gifts provide opportunities that shape their success today and beyond. #HornetAthleticsGivingDay
Option 2
There’s still time to be a part of the team and make your gift on #HornetAthleticsGivingDay! Your support helps shape K’s student-athletes into the leaders of tomorrow. Give them a boost today. [insert a rocket emoji]
Option 3
36% of Kalamazoo College students participate in intercollegiate athletics. Your gift to [insert sport] during today’s Hornet Athletics Giving Day will ensure they have the resources they need as they take on challenges on the field, in the classroom and beyond!
Thank You Posts
Post on: Thursday, February 19, 2026 after the final giving totals are released.
Important Note: The campaign will officially close at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Please wait until the campaign closes to share the team totals and overall final giving totals as displayed on the campaign page.
Option 1
What a day! Hornet Athletics Giving Day was powered by YOU and the results are inspiring! Thank you for being part of the [insert bee emoji] community and supporting K’s student-athletes.
Option 2
Thank you to all our [insert Kalamazoo College Athletics or your sport] donors who joined us during the Hornet Athletics Giving Day! Together you raised $[insert amount displayed on this page] to support K’s student-athletes.
Option 3
Thank you for making #HornetAthleticsGivingDay a soaring success! We are grateful for the $[insert your individual sport total here] you raised together and the impact your gifts will have in the months and years ahead. Go Hornets!
Social Media Images
Contact Information
Have Questions? Please contact Lindsay O’Donohue, Senior Director of Constituent Programs and Annual Giving, at lindsay.odonohue@kzoo.edu or 269.337.7299.