Showing Up Strong: SAE Foundation Surpasses $286K Through M2M and Founders’ Day

It’s safe to say this spring was one for the SAE Foundation’s record books.

Fueled by energy, competition, and an incredible spirit of generosity, the SAE Foundation saw supporters rally in a big way, resulting in one of the most successful seasons to date.

March to the Madness Delivers Big

This year’s “March to the Madness” tournament brought the excitement once again. By the final buzzer, the campaign raised over $168,000 through 1,122 donations from 361 unique donors, with over $14,000 awarded to Chapter Education Funds (CEF).

From the opening round to the championship showdown, chapters competed fiercely and donors showed up in numbers. In the end, Texas claimed the Championship title, edging out Indiana, who finished as this year’s runner-up.

But the competition didn’t stop there:

Indiana led the field in total dollars raised
Ball State and Marshall tied for the most unique donors
And at the individual level, Gregory Moore (Texas ‘71) earned Tournament MVP honors as the top overall donor

Recognizing Standout Performances

Each round brought its own standout contributors. Round MVPs are the donors who contributed the highest total amount during that specific round, while Leading Scorers highlight those who made the most individual donations, regardless of the amount.

Championship
MVP: Gregory Moore (Texas ‘71)
Leading Scorer: Steve Mitchell (Indiana ’83)

Final Four
MVP: Gregory Moore (Texas ‘71)
Leading Scorer: Steve Mitchell (Indiana ’83)

Elite Eight
MVP: David Butler (Nebraska ’87)
Leading Scorers: Steve Mitchell (Indiana ’83) & Jack Counts (Oklahoma ’68)

Sweet Sixteen
MVP: Bob Austin (Oklahoma State ’76)
Leading Scorers: Bobby Reynolds (Maryland-College Park ’78) & Kenny Drake (Ball State)

Round of 32
MVP: Hugh Miller (Alabama ’85)
Leading Scorers: Ethan Bray (Kansas State), Jack Counts (Oklahoma ’68), Peter Hoistad (North Dakota ’82)

Round of 64
MVP: Michael Relf (South Dakota State ’88)
Leading Scorers: Austin Stewart (Marshall ’22) & Gabriel Finch (Marshall)

From major gifts to consistent participation, every contribution played a role in making this year’s tournament more impactful than ever.

Founders’ Day Outperforms Last Year by More Than Double

This year’s Founders Day campaign brought in more than $100,000, a monumental increase from approximately $40,000 last year. Across the country, alumni groups gathered to celebrate our shared history by hosting over 39 Founders Day events. The SAE Foundation sent swag boxes to registered events, which included table tents, talking points, SAE trivia, and a variety of SAE branded giveaways. (Watch out for the Alumni Newsletter to register your event next year and receive a swag box!)

As part of our fundraising effort, we also offered a pin inspired by the SAE Mansion House, where the first SAE meeting was held. Donation levels were intentionally set as a tribute to our founding year of 1856. More than 500 collegians and alums contributed $18.56 and will receive this limited-edition pin, while over 150 donors gave $185.60 and will receive both the pin and an SAE baseball cap.

This year, we offered a 3rd level for $1,856.00 or more, in addition to the hat and pin, we would send every active member of the donor’s chapter a pin, as well. We had 20+ donors and will be sending pins to the following chapters:

Alabama Mu – University of Alabama
California Delta – University of California, Los Angeles
California Lambda – California State University, Long Beach
California Pi – California State University, Fullerton
California Zeta – San José State University
Colorado Chi – University of Colorado Boulder
Idaho Alpha – University of Idaho
Illinois Delta – Millikin University
Indiana Beta – Purdue University
Indiana Gamma – Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana Sigma – Indiana State University
Indiana Zeta – Ball State University
Kentucky Kappa – Centre College
Maryland Alpha – Towson University
Mississippi Theta – Mississippi State University
North Dakota Alpha – University of North Dakota
Ohio Epsilon – University of Cincinnati
Ohio Sigma – University of Mount Union
Ohio Tau- Miami University
Pennsylvania Zeta – Bucknell University
South Dakota Theta – South Dakota State University
Texas Rho – University of Texas at Austin
Washington Alpha – University of Washington

Thank you to all of our generous donors for helping to make this a record-breaking Founders’ Day!

What’s Next

With an impressive February and March in the books, the SAE Foundation is just getting started. Up next is the annual Silent Auction, which is now open for item donations. If you have an experience or item you’d like to donate, please complete this form.

Last year’s auction featured standout items like an experience at The Masters, all-inclusive getaways, plenty of exceptional rounds of golf, and so much more. This year’s bidding will open in early June, with proceeds supporting the Annual Loyalty Fund.

This spring set a high standard for what’s possible when SAE shows up and transforms effort into impact. Let’s keep the momentum going into summer and fall!