New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary raised a record-setting total of just over $500,000 during this Tuesday’s Giving Day (Dec. 2). 

The seminary raised a total of $502,498, surpassing its Giving Tuesday goal of $500,000. It is the first time that NOBTS has raised more than $500,000 on Giving Day, and the total amount raised far exceeded last year’s record total of just over $460,000. 

This record total is just one of many noteworthy fundraising milestones for the seminary in recent years.  

Since Jamie Dew became president of NOBTS in 2019, the average yearly fundraising total for the institution has nearly doubled.   

Three of the institution’s top five fundraising years have taken place during Dew’s administration, including the school’s most successful fundraising year.  

• $11,842,330 was raised during the 2024 fiscal year, which was second best all-time.   

• $10,398,677 was raised during the 2023 fiscal year, which was fourth best all-time (up to that point).   

• $15,722,791 was raised during the 2022 fiscal year, which was a record setting total.   

Mike Wetzel, vice president for institutional advancement, said this recent fundraising success, along with the generous giving of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program, has made a variety of new updates around the seminary possible.   

These updates include renovations to campus facilities such as the Luter Student Center and student housing, the creation of new academic programs and the establishment of new student scholarships. 

Wetzel said a huge part of the seminary’s fundraising efforts in recent years has been a renewed emphasis on Giving Tuesday or Giving Day. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, Giving Day is understood to be the largest day of philanthropy in the world. 

This renewed emphasis has already paid dividends.   

NOBTS has surpassed their stated Giving Day goal multiple times in the last five years and raised more than $400,000 in 2023 and 2024. The highest Giving Day total for the school before 2019 was just over $10,000. 

“We are developing a culture here at NOBTS that understands the value of generosity,” Wetzel said.  

“Our friends and partners have learned the blessings of being generous, and God continues to show us His favor on what we are doing. All of this generosity helps more students prepare and serve by sharing the Good News of Jesus.” 

Dew expressed his gratitude for the generosity of NOBTS family and partners in a video released on the seminary’s social media pages.  

“I want to just take a moment and express our gratitude and say thank you for your generous contributions to the work that we do here in training the next generation of pastors, missionaries and ministry leaders,” Dew said.  

“It’s very expensive work that we do, so we depend on generous Southern Baptists everywhere to help us. We could not do what we do without your support, kindness and generosity. Together, we are training the next generation of ministry leaders. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” 

More information about giving financially to NOBTS can be found here.