Ready to swing your Axe of Kindness? NAU Giving Day is coming up on Thursday, May 1, and it’s the perfect opportunity to support your favorite departments, initiatives and clubs at the university.
If you’re considering giving for the first time and you’re overwhelmed with choices, let these stories from Giving Day 2024 first-time donors inspire your decision! Hear from an alumna who wanted to make campus bicycling more accessible, a parent who wants to help her son and his fellow students thrive, a current student who’s motivated to help future Lumberjacks earn while they learn and a community member who believes deeply in the mission of one of NAU’s centers.
Still not sure how to contribute? Read to the end for more ideas on how to donate your money and time to worthy causes on Giving Day.
Anna Stompro, Lumberjack alumna
For Anna Stompro, a 2005 elementary education graduate, giving back to NAU meant honoring the joy of her own college experience—and helping future students create memories of their own.
Stompro directed her gift to the Yellow Bike Program, a Green Fund initiative that provides free bike rentals to students, faculty, and staff. By making cycling more accessible, the program promotes sustainability, reduces traffic congestion, and offers a socially and environmentally conscious way to move through campus.
“I wanted to give back to NAU and make cycling campus accessible to everyone,” Stompro said. “Some of my favorite memories are from my college days—we should help the next generation have similar experiences!”
Thanks to donors like Stompro, more Lumberjacks are discovering the freedom of campus life on two wheels.
Kerry Eisner, Lumberjack parent
Meet Kerry Eisner, whose son Jonah is a current Lumberjack. Like many proud parents, Eisner is navigating a bittersweet transition: “It’s quite an adjustment to not see our son every day anymore,” she says.
Eisner’s first Giving Day gift supported the Student Health and Wellness Impact Fund, which enhances vital programs that help students thrive—ranging from mental health counseling and medical care to fitness, nutrition, and wellness education. Through Campus Health Services, Counseling Services, and Campus Recreation, these resources create a supportive environment where students like Jonah can flourish, both in and out of the classroom.
“It’s crucial that he has caring individuals other than family to watch out for his well-being during this exciting time,” she said. “It feels wonderful to contribute resources at NAU for the betterment of students—not only for my son, but for all his new classmates and friends.”
Scarlett Kluge, current student
Scarlett Kluge, a senior majoring in history and philosophy, made a gift to the Cline Library Student Workforce Promise Fund. The fund supports more than 50 student employees each year through paid jobs and professional development opportunities in areas like User Services, Archives, and Content Access—ensuring students can earn while they learn.
Kluge has spent her time at NAU balancing full-time work with a rigorous academic schedule: “It’s not always an easy feat, but it is necessary for many.
“Ideally, young people wouldn’t have to choose between feeding their stomachs and feeding their minds,” she shared. “While this continues to be the reality for many, I like to help make lives easier in whatever ways I can. Cline has been a library of knowledge, a sanctuary for study, a hall for lectures and the open exchange of ideas, a space for making and maintaining friendships—and my overly caffeinated 1 a.m. study zone.”
Now preparing to graduate in a matter of days and begin law school at Marquette University this fall, Kluge looks back at her NAU experience with deep gratitude: “I moved from Utah to attend NAU. I will forever feel a pull toward the San Francisco Peaks and a connection to every NAU student that came before me and that will come after me. Once a Lumberjack, always a Lumberjack.”
She also hopes to encourage fellow students to give back, even in small ways: “I have always believed we are obligated to give back to the communities we benefit from.”
Lydia Villa-Komaroff, friend of NAU
Lydia Villa-Komaroff, a renowned molecular biologist and advocate for diversity in STEM, made her gift to NAU’s Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications (¡MIRA!) to honor her colleague and friend, Dr. Gabriel Montaño, the center’s founding director.
¡MIRA! integrates materials science with a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. More than half of its faculty and students come from historically marginalized backgrounds—a rarity in the physical sciences. The center provides paid research opportunities, mentorship and community outreach, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can thrive in STEM fields.
Villa-Komaroff believes in the power of inclusion: “Inclusion is completely compatible with merit. STEM fields benefit from the multiple points of view that a diverse group can bring to the solution of important questions and also widens the recognition of problems that need to be addressed.”
Nearly half of NAU students are the first in their families to go to college—a reality that resonates with Villa-Komaroff: “My parents were first-gen students. Because of them, a family of farm workers has been transformed into a family of scientists, lawyers, business executives, teachers, engineers, artists, and doctors. ¡MIRA! opens doors to such endless possibilities.”
What’s new this year?
Whether you’d like to follow in the footsteps of these 2024 first-time donors or chart your own course, browse the Giving Day website to learn about all the exciting avenues for supporting NAU—from helping the Lumberjack Marching Band travel to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to strengthening NAU-Yuma’s impact in southern Arizona.
And remember, you don’t need to open your wallet to make a positive impact on Giving Day! You can sign up to be an NAU Giving Day Champion and inspire others to get involved. You can also show your school spirit at Giving Day celebrations happening in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Denver or Washington, D.C.
Regardless of how you give, your generosity could pay off big: Giving Day champions and those who donate $5 or more can be entered to win a trip to the 2025 NAU Homecoming festivities. A donation of $75 or more will net you a pair of coveted NAU-branded socks, and donors who give $125 or more can choose from a number of True Blue-themed thank-you gifts. Plus, with $600,000 in donor-sponsored challenges available this year, your donation could make up to double the difference.