Building a Better BU

The tagline for BU’s second annual Giving Day is “Your Impact Is Everywhere.”

Today, BU’s vast network of alumni, students, faculty, and staff will come together for the second annual Giving Day. The 24-hour fundraising drive will benefit the BU Annual Fund, which supports a wide range of programs and activities, from the University’s schools, colleges, and athletic teams to scholarships, the Community Service Center, and student clubs. In addition to donation opportunities, Giving Day includes on-campus activities, events, and a community-wide social media blitz. But the clock is ticking: the fundraising event ends at midnight EDT tonight.

Last year’s inaugural Giving Day resulted in a record-breaking day of fundraising for the University, totaling more than $1.1 million.

“Giving Day allows us to highlight the impact of giving to BU while creating an opportunity for people to support a part of the University that they care about,” says Daniel Allenby, Development & Alumni Relations assistant vice president for annual giving. “There are so many great students, faculty, programs, and causes at BU. Every single gift on Giving Day will make a difference.”

The aim of the 24-hour event is to connect the entire University community—domestic and international—through the spirit of generosity as they work toward a common goal of supporting BU’s world-class education, athletics, research, and programs. Donors can give to their choice of programs or areas with the University.

“BU was my home for four years,” says recent graduate Nicole Stephens (CAS’12). “It was activities like clubs and sports that made it so special to me. I want to make sure these activities are around for the next generation of Terriers, which is why I give.”

To help donors increase the impact of their donations, a group of generous alumni has offered to match the first $25 of each gift to schools, colleges, athletics, clubs, and organizations on Giving Day.

The 2015 Class Gift Committee is encouraging seniors to take advantage of the matching gift and the opportunity to provide extra support for their favorite club or organization by contributing to the Class Gift Campaign today. Committee cochair D. A. Whatley (Questrom’15) is also hoping to educate his peers on the impact they can have as a group. “It’s an entire day where the BU community comes together and shows appreciation for what impacted their student experience,” says Whatley, who credits his experience as a Posse Scholar as the inspiration for giving back.

The BU Alumni Association will feature social media posts with the hashtag #IGiveToBU on its accounts throughout the day. It will also announce hourlong challenges, where select areas of the University will have a chance to earn additional matching funds for 60 minutes. Event organizers are encouraging everyone to get involved by sharing what inspires them to give using the hashtags #BUGivingDay and #IGiveToBU. Last year’s Giving Day saw peak social media activity that landed it on Twitter’s worldwide trending topics, even drawing a few celebrity retweets.

On-campus activities

There are several ways to be part of Giving Day on both the Charles River and Medical Campuses. On the CRC, the GSU Link will be Giving Day headquarters, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featured activities will include a photo booth and appearances from Rhett, among others. WTBU deejays will provide the soundtrack for the day as student groups participate by hosting informational tables. Multiple “giving stations” will be placed 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 be a part of the conversation and to check out what others are saying about Giving Day. To show your support, switch your cover and profile photos to the Giving Day–branded versions available on the Giving Day website. After you donate, tell the community why, by posting your own video, photo, or testimonial using the #IGivetoBU hashtag.

Giving Day ends at midnight EDT tonight, Wednesday, April 8. 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 annual Giving Day here.

Lindsay A. Roth can be reached at liroth@bu.edu.