Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Day of Giving? 

Once a year, we invite the entire Hawken community to unite in school spirit and philanthropy, to make a collective impact. By focusing the power of our community to this one day, we generate awareness for the needs this school year and the impact of each donation, rally school spirit, and multipy donations through generous matches and challenges from members of our community. But most important, our students feel the impact of the many alumni, faculty, staff, parents, grandparents, and friends near and far in supporting Hawken's mission and the school they love. 

When is Hawken's Day of Giving?

This year, Hawken's Day of Giving is Thursday, October 22, 2026. Beginning at midnight on October 22, see the many matches and challenges you can participate in to make your gift go even further!

I made a donation to the Hawken Fund last spring. Why am I being asked again? 

Thank you for your recent generosity and support! Hawken's fiscal year runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30 2027. Your previous gift was included in last year's fiscal year. As Annual Fund donations are spent within the fiscal year when they are donated, your last gift provided support to last year's students! Participating in Day of Giving (or any other time between July 1-June 30) will benefit students this school year. 

If I participate in Day of Giving, am I expected to give additional donations this year? 

No. Our office is grateful for your generosity and committed to not "soliciting" you again this school year. As soon as you make a gift, we work quickly to not only send you a heartfelt thank you, but remove you from any mailing or email lists requesting you participate in the Hawken Fund again this school year. You may see our links or icons in general school news throughout the year as we inform the community about our Fund's progress, or you may receive updates about your donation's impact on student programming this school year, but we do not explicitly call on you to participate again. 

I'd love to make a big impact on Day of Giving, but my budget won't allow a large donation all at once.

We get this question all the time! You can spread your generosity across the remainder of the fiscal year by setting up a recurring payment or making a pledge of a certain amount each month until you reach your desired contribution. This is a favorite way for young alumni to participate- donating a comfortable amount each month can make a huge impact by next June! We are happy to set up a pledge by email or phone, or you can set up a recurring amount right on our Day of Giving donation form, using a payment form of your choice.

How can I help?

We'd love to hear from you. Please contact our office (giving@hawken.edu) or Anna Delia, Director of the Hawken Fund (adeli@hawken.edu), for opportunities. You could offer a match or challenge to inspire potential donors, help spread the word, and advocate for Day of Giving through friendly reminders sent to fellow friends of Hawken. We will set you up with everything you need, so you simply need to press "send!"