UNO Wear Black, Give Back Raises Record $2.3 Million

Highlights

• The 2026 Wear Black, Give Back –– UNO’s 24-hour giving day –– raised a record-setting $2,327,247.
• Supporters made 8,139 gifts, surpassing the goal of 7,000 gifts.
• Because the giving day achieved its goal of 7,000 gifts, UNO and Omaha North High School alumnus John Morgan gave $1 million to support UNO scholarships.
• Wear Black, Give Back raises funds to support student scholarships, UNO colleges and programs, student organizations, Omaha Athletics, and other priorities.

University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) supporters stepped up in a big way during the 2026 Wear Black, Give Back giving day, raising a record $2,327,247.

During the seventh annual giving day, which began at noon Wednesday and ended at noon Thursday, 5,229 individual donors made a record 8,139 gifts. The campaign surpassed the event’s goal of 7,000 gifts of $5 or more. Wear Black, Give Back reached its goal with two hours remaining in the 24-hour giving day. Gifts were made online at givingday.unomaha.edu.

Because the gift goal was met, UNO and Omaha North High School alumnus John Morgan fulfilled his $1 million challenge gift, which was included in the total raised. Morgan has backed the University of Nebraska System for 25 years and has supported scholarship programs across the country, including at UNO, to help students access higher education.

UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, expressed gratitude to Morgan and the other UNO donors.

“Reaching 7,000 gifts and surpassing last year’s giving record speaks to the incredible power of the extended UNO family. I am deeply moved that so many people chose to give and invest in our students and their futures,” Chancellor Li said. “I’m especially grateful to John Morgan for leading by example with his extraordinary $1 million challenge gift, and to every student, faculty and staff member, alumnus, and friend of our university who helped make this historic achievement possible. This is what happens when the entire Maverick community comes together.”

The giving day exceeded the 2025 Wear Black, Give Back total of $1,402,216 raised from 6,726 gifts.

Gifts made during Wear Black, Give Back support student scholarships, UNO colleges and programs, student organizations, Omaha Athletics, and other priorities.

UNO student Quinn Constantino, an Omaha native, is a senior communications major who received scholarship support through the John Morgan UNO Scholarship Fund. Last summer, Constantino learned he wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of tuition for his final semester of college, despite working full time over the summer. He found out about Morgan’s scholarship through the Durango Advancement and Support Hub.

“I felt like this weight was completely lifted off my shoulders,” he said. “I felt like I was finally able to see myself at graduation. Once I received that scholarship, I could see myself walking across the stage, and that was just amazing.”

Following graduation, Constantino plans to pursue a law degree. He wants to be either a public defender or practice family law. He hopes to continue making an impact across Omaha.

“I’m a very connected individual within Omaha,” he said. “This is the place that I love. This is the place where I’m going to stay.”

UNO Student Body President and Student Regent Aditi Rai, a senior computer science major and chemistry minor on the pre-med track, said scholarship support has allowed her to maximize her experience at UNO.

“These scholarships have made it possible for me to focus on my education while also being very involved on the university campus,” said Rai, who was born in India and immigrated to the United States in 2012.

Scholarship support from the UNO Alumni Association and Mutual of Omaha allowed Rai to discover an unexpected passion for student government.

“The moral of the story for me is that scholarships gave me the freedom to explore interests outside my major and what I’m studying,” Rai said. “I definitely did not think of being the student body president when I first joined UNO. I truly don’t think I could have done it without the financial support I’ve had.”

About the University of Nebraska Foundation

The University of Nebraska Foundation grows relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives and save lives. During fiscal year 2026, a record $532.8 million was committed to aid UNK, UNL, UNO, NCTA and UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine. In addition, 58,433 donors supported the University of Nebraska. Alumni engagement and fundraising are efficient, with the University of Nebraska receiving more than $7 in gifts for every $1 spent. Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future is its current campaign with a goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. More information is at OnlyinNebraska.org.