Third Annual Giving Day Today, April 6
24-hour fundraising drive: challenges, activities, social media shout-outs
Today, the Boston University community will come together for the University’s third annual Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising drive that will benefit the BU Annual Fund. In addition to raising money online, there will be activities across the Charles River and Medical Campuses and a community-wide social media shout-out of favorite things about BU.
Since launching in 2014, Giving Day has raised more than $2.1 million from over 7,954 students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the University. Those funds have been used to support BU’s individual schools and colleges, scholarships, athletics, study-abroad experiences, libraries, the Community Service Center, and sustainability initiatives.
“Giving Day is a chance for everyone in the BU community to come together for 24 hours and celebrate the things they care about at BU,” says Dan Allenby, Development & Alumni Relations assistant vice president for annual giving. “In the first two years of this event, 332 worthy causes at BU received donations on Giving Day. We hope that continues to grow this year as more members of our community choose to give back.”
The day’s goal isn’t just to raise money, but to connect the entire BU community—no matter how far-flung—through school spirit and the common goal of supporting the University’s research, education, athletics, and programs. Terriers are encouraged to support any area of BU they choose with a donation. As in previous years, donors can unlock bonus funds throughout the day by winning challenges sponsored by alumni. Gifts made to schools, colleges, and varsity athletics will also qualify for additional matching funds. Dollars raised for particular causes and by various groups (e.g., school vs school, team vs team, and alumni vs students) are tracked, leaderboard-style, on the Giving Day website.
Challenges offer extra incentive to give
New this year are two challenges sponsored by recent graduates. The first comes from the 2016 Class Gift Committee and encourages current students to support their favorite campus activity. The clubs or organizations that secure the most student donors will win matching funds.
“I’m choosing to give back to BU on Giving Day because the tuition I pay goes to the general BU student body, but my gift goes directly to something specific on campus that I care about,” says 2016 Class Gift cochair Juliana Zeta Freeman (CAS’16). She and her fellow committee members are hoping for a strong senior turnout to take advantage of the matching funds.
The second challenge is sponsored by Hillary Babick (CFA’11), who hopes it will inspire her peers to give. If 100 recent graduates make donations between 1 and 2 p.m. tomorrow, she will give $500 to the Community Service Center, which oversees 14 service programs as well as numerous one-time service projects and events.
“Recent grad giving is really important,” says Babick. “I’ve found that a lot of my peers have great affinity for the University, but that doesn’t necessarily match what we can contribute. I choose to give on Giving Day because it’s all about participation and raising your hand.”
The BU Alumni Association will announce hour-long challenges like Babick’s on its social media accounts throughout the day. They will also be highlighted on the Giving Day website.
On-campus activities
There are several ways to be part of Giving Day in person, as well as online. On the Charles River Campus, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. the GSU Link will be Giving Day headquarters. Activities will include a photo booth and appearances by Rhett. Student radio station WTBU deejays will provide the soundtrack for the day, and participating student groups will host informational tables. Multiple giving stations will be set up on the Medical Campus, with opportunities to be featured in photos and posts shared over social media.
Social media activity
Participants can use the hashtag #BUGivingDay on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Vine posts to join in the conversation and to check out what others are saying about Giving Day. You can also follow the day’s activities on the University’s Snapchat account, @bostonu. Participants can tell the BU community why they donated by posting videos, photos, or testimonials using the #IGivetoBU hashtag.
Giving Day ends at midnight EDT tonight, Wednesday, April 6. Donate at bu.edu/givingday. Questions about the event? Email givingday@bu.edu, call 800-447-2849, or visit the website.
Watch a video about this year’s Giving Day above.
This BU Today story was written by Lindsay A. Roth.