On April 9, Â鶹¹û¶³ celebrated . After almost a decade of being known as The Big Give, University Advancement refreshed the campaign in 2023 to feature a more consistent, simplified message. Â鶹¹û¶³ Giving Day is now a 24-hour event for collective support of areas all over campus.
Â鶹¹û¶³ alumni, students, parents, employees and friends came together to support their personal areas of passion. Whether one of the ten academic schools, athletics, Â鶹¹û¶³ CARES, or another area of campus, there was no shortage of areas to support on Â鶹¹û¶³ Giving Day.
After weeks of thoughtful email and social media campaigns, mailed communication and peer-to-peer encouragement, Â鶹¹û¶³ is proud to announce that the goal of 1,100 individual donors was exceeded to reach 1,267 donors. Donors raised over $234,000 to impact students, even offering incentives such as dollar-for-dollar matches and donor-based challenges.
This year’s effort was spearheaded by Sydney Talley, director of annual giving at Â鶹¹û¶³. As an alumna herself, Talley knows firsthand how important donor engagement and philanthropy is to student success. Her leadership, coupled with the strong teamwork of her colleagues, is the reason this day was a success.
“We are so thankful for the generosity shown by hundreds of Â鶹¹û¶³ supporters," said Talley. "This collective effort demonstrates that gifts of all sizes—from $5 to $10,000—make a true impact in the lives of our students and their Â鶹¹û¶³ experiences! Whether through scholarships, academic programs, student life or another area, these gifts allow us to continue nurturing intellect, creativity, faith and personhood.”
Â鶹¹û¶³ Giving Day is not solely about the number of dollars raised for the university. The real success is being able to educate the Â鶹¹û¶³ community on the university’s campus priorities that better students’ Â鶹¹û¶³ experiences. When people with every type of university affiliation come together for that unified purpose, a real impact is made.
Congratulations on your success, Bulldogs!