BUILDING ON A TRADITION OF GENEROSITY
INSPIRED BY GIVING TO INSPIRE OTHERS
Last year, Tommie Give Day – the university’s annual day of giving – celebrated 11 years. The gifts to St. Thomas increased 10-fold from $408,745 in 2015 to $4,321,096 in 2025. Gifts came from all 50 states and around the world including Nigeria, Spain, Germany, Norway and Panama.
If you ever received a phone call from a St. Thomas student asking for a gift, they were part of the Engagement Center. This is a popular option for on-campus employment where students do more than make calls – they learn about the dual powers of philanthropy and gratitude. For example, Engagement Center students call every Tommie Give Day donor to offer a personal “thank you.” They also call alumni to talk about current events at St. Thomas and to ask for gifts for the Annual Fund, which support the most urgent needs on campus and among the student body.
BY THE NUMBERS:
• 3,126 donors gave in 2025 • 1,000 Tommie Give Day donors (17%) in 2025 made their first gift • Nearly all class years 1955-2025 participated • St. Thomas student clubs increased their dollars raised by more than 300% over 2024 • 1,124 donors earned Tommie Choppers and 289 donated their mittens to Catholic Charities Twin Cities
SMALL GIFTS. MIGHTY IMPACT. 30+ YEARS STRONG
Jack Richtman ’48 is one dedicated Tommie. He is a World War II veteran who attended St. Thomas on the GI Bill, earned a degree in chemistry, and last year, he turned 101. Richtman’s life is remarkable in many ways: His military service: Four years in Army Air Force in Europe, including the end of the war; 32 years of marriage to his high school sweetheart, Karwyn, and their 12 children together;
TOMMIE GIVE DAY 2025 SUPPORTERS:
after Karwyn died, a marriage to Mary Perkins, who had eight children of her own, which lasted 33 years; 52 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren. What a life! In the category of smaller feats, Richtman makes a gift to St. Thomas every year, and he has done so for more than 30 years. Thank you, Jack, for your dedication to St. Thomas. We are grateful for you, and we wish you well in your 102nd year of life!
Current Students, Faculty and Staff 8.6%
Alumni 49.4%
Friends of St. Thomas and Corporate Affinity Groups 19.4%
Parents 22.6%
Jack Richtman ’48
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