Save the Date: Bears Give Back 2026

UNC’s annual Bears Give Back campaign – a multi-day event aimed at raising funds to support various aspects of student success across campus and beyond – will take place on Wednesday, April 8, Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10 of this year.

Each day will be structured to focus on a different fund based on a specific theme for that day. This year, the themes are:

• Bear Necessities Day – April 8: This day will focus on supporting students’ basic needs and helping build a foundation for achievement and well-being. The annual Bears Give Back scavenger hunt will be held on this day, an event where students roam UNC’s campus to find stuffed bears with attached funds that they can designate to whatever area of campus means the most to them.
• Career Readiness Day – April 9: Featuring projects that promote career growth and student success beyond the classroom, this day will focus on nurturing an investment in an ethical, balanced future workforce. On this day, there will be a matching gift challenge; the top two featured funds with the most donors will receive additional, matched funding towards their causes.
• Student Success Day – April 10: This day will highlight projects aimed at encouraging personal student well-being and supporting their success. From 3 to 4 p.m. on this day, the campaign will host its annual Power Hour event. Any gift made to any fund during this time (not just those featured) will be matched at a ratio of 2:1.

Although these themes are structured to help highlight a variety of initiatives throughout the course of the event, donated are accepted to any fund on any day. Team UNC matches will be applicable at a rate of 1:1 for any gift made to any fund by UNC faculty and staff.

Stay tuned for more information on this year’s Bears Give Back campaign, including a donation link and a more detailed breakdown of how contributions can be made to specific funds. Go Bears!