Frequently Asked Questions: Benefit Gala 2025
When is the 2025 Benefit Gala?
Thursday, May 8, 2025
What time do the festivities begin?
6 p.m. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
7 p.m. Dinner and awards ceremony, paddle raise and performance by Hamilton’s Miguel Cervantes!
Location: All to take place under tent on the University’s campus.
Why is the Benefit on a Thursday instead of the weekend?
Because we know that weekends are precious to busy people, and it worked so well last year!
Our goal is to provide an enjoyable evening as we celebrate our honorees and tell the stories of Dominican students whose lives are changed because of your support of scholarships.
Why is the Benefit Gala important?
Dominican University’s Benefit Gala is the University’s only fundraising event and, each year, all the funds provide immediate financial assistance to our students.
Nearly 97% of current undergraduates receive some form of financial assistance to attend Dominican. Our mission – now and always – is to serve students with a transformational education. This is the reason we are ranked #1 in social mobility, indicating our success in assisting students and their families to ascend to higher socio-economic statuses. As more than half of our students are the first in their family to go to college, and almost all work or juggle family obligations while going to school, every dollar raised at the Benefit Gala helps to alleviate their financial strain.
Who are the Honorees?
Two awards will be presented again this year as part of the Benefit. Angeles Investors will receive the Pillars Award from the University, which recognizes an organization that represents and complements the four Dominican pillars of faith, study, community and service.
Cheryl and Rick King MBA '83, will be honored with the Heart of Dominican Award, which recognizes individual(s) who have contributed significantly over time to both the University and the surrounding community.
Who is the featured artist?
Miguel Cervantes recently starred as Alexander Hamilton in the Tony Award winning musical, Hamilton. Before moving to Broadway, he starred in the same title role at the Chicago Privatebank Theater. Miguel has acted on Broadway in If/Then, American Idiot, and 25th Annual…Spelling Bee. Additional theater credits include Giant, Tails, Henry and Mudge, and more. On the big screen, his work includes The Greatest, N.B.T and Tramps. Miguel has also appeared on television shows such as Person of Interest, Braindead, Madame Secretary, Royal Pains, The Blacklist, and All My Children. Cervantes graduated from Emerson College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater and has additional training in singing, ballet, tap, and jazz. He and his wife, Kelly, are partnered with the organization, Cure Epilepsy, which funds patient focused research to find a cure for epilepsy.
Is there a concert this year?
This year’s program will not include a full concert in the Lund Auditorium, as in previous years. Our featured artist, Miguel Cervantes, will perform during the event, under the tent, and be an integral part of the evening’s program.
What is the dress code?
Cocktail
How can I support the event if I cannot attend?
If you are unable to attend the concert and reception, you can still support our students! Each donation supports scholarships at Dominican. Please visit dom.edu/benefit or email specialevents@dom.edu
Can I use my Donor Advised Fund or Family Foundation to pay for a Benefit Sponsorship or ticket?
Short answer: give us a call to discuss. While the University can receive donations from Donor Advised Funds, there are limitations on any benefit or goods/services provided to the person who recommends the donation.* Your contribution to qualifying DAFs (often held at community foundations) is treated by the Internal Revenue Service as a charitable contribution at the time that it’s made.
Other questions?
Please contact Lisa Parisi at 708-524-6284 or specialevents@dom.edu
*The fine print: IRS regulations prohibit the donor, donor advisor, or the donor’s family member from receiving any benefit in excess of an incidental one as a result of a DAF distribution. Dominican does not provide legal or tax advice; please consult your donor advisor or tax advisor for additional guidance.