#TuftsGivingTuesday: ‘Making the world a better place’

For Tufts alumna Linda J. Shapiro, #TuftsGivingTuesday is a chance to support the university that shaped her into the person she is today.  

“Tufts is responsible for making me who I am, in a very large part,” said Shapiro, J74, A06P, E09P, AG08P. The university instilled values that extend beyond academics, she added. “It’s this idea of service to the community, to others. It’s connecting with people who are coming from places different from me, both geographically and philosophically.” 

Shapiro’s husband and children also went to Tufts. She said the university has informed the way they all look at the world and live their lives—and she wants future students to have the opportunity to be impacted in the same way.  

“We have to step up and make sure that Tufts as an institution is able to continue doing what it does best, which is educating students and doing first-class research,” she said. “It goes beyond classroom education. It’s just a whole philosophy of making the world a better place.” 

This year, Shapiro will join others around the globe to continue the Tufts tradition of giving back on #TuftsGivingTuesday. The annual fundraising event will be held on Dec. 2, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and will show the power of collective giving to support financial aid, internships, athletics, and other important causes. Shapiro and other volunteers will be active all day encouraging classmates to offer their support.

#TuftsGivingTuesday 2024 set a record, with the Tufts global community raising a total of $4.95 million from close to 8,000 participants.

This #TuftsGivingTuesday, there is a dollar-for-dollar match for all gifts to undergraduate financial aid. Those gifts will directly support the Tufts Tuition Pact, a policy under which, starting with the class entering in the fall of 2026, U.S. undergraduates will attend Tufts tuition-free if their annual family income is under $150,000. 

Thanks to another matching gift, for every 2,500 donors to any area at Tufts, an additional $25,000 will be given by a group of generous donors. 

At Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Robert Murtaugh, former faculty member and longtime #TuftsGivingTuesday challenge donor, has pledged an additional $25,000 if 300 people make gifts to the school on Dec. 2.  

“The need has never been greater for scholarship support,” Murtaugh said. There is “an imperative for those of us who can give to give now. And this matching opportunity allows your generosity to be magnified. So, give today!” 

Noah Cohen, A27, was the co-chair of alumni outreach for the Tufts Ski Team and worked to fundraise last year. He said he’s grateful to everyone who donated to help ensure that cost isn’t a barrier for students who want to join the club. 

“Giving Tuesday was a wild day full of a crazy amount of phone calls and emails,” said Cohen. “I probably talked to over 300 people, including some alumni who were incredibly generous.” 

To make it easy to offer support, the #TuftsGivingTuesday website allows donors to make a general contribution, participate in specific matches and challenges, or give to their favorite area at Tufts. 

“We’re all really proud of the way Tufts has supported its students through a couple of very tough years,” Shapiro said. “And I feel confident that Tufts will continue to do so, and I hope that my classmates and other alums alike support Tufts so that it can continue to do so.”