Third Annual Giving Day Sets Fundraising Record
Daylong event brought University $1.5 million
BU Telefund students at the end of the third annual Giving Day on April 6. The callers brought in more than 100 gifts between noon and midnight. Photo by Kevin Chan (CAS’18)
A lot can happen in a day—and a lot did happen last Wednesday, when Boston University held its third annual Giving Day, a 24-hour fundraising drive for causes across campus through the BU Annual Fund. The result was the most successful day of fundraising in the University’s history, bringing in over $1.5 million with more than 11,000 gifts from alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of BU. The event’s website tracked progress throughout the day.
An enthusiastic energy was palpable across campus, with students, faculty, and staff gathering in a dozen locations to encourage others to participate before midnight. Giving Day festivities were live-streamed from the George Sherman Union, and Terriers around the globe reconnected over social media, with many sharing personal testimonies using the hashtag #BUGivingDay. Giving Day was a trending topic on Twitter in Boston, reaching more than 510,000 people. All in all, donors representing 44 countries supported more than 200 different funds.
“The third annual BU Giving Day was the biggest and best one yet,” says Dan Allenby, Development & Alumni Relations assistant vice president for annual giving. “To see so many BU students, alumni, parents, and friends come together to support such a wide range of causes is a testament to the pride that people feel in this institution. It’s fantastic that all of these people are so committed to being a part of keeping BU great and continuing to move it forward.”
The event was especially successful for a number of BU athletic teams, student organizations, and clubs. Hourly challenges pitted potential winners in a race against the clock to secure bonus funds in 60 minutes or less. Friends of BU Hockey, the Community Service Center, WTBU Radio, and many schools and colleges came out on top, and BU Athletics had a mix of challenges for varsity teams and club sports, securing over $500,000 in support.
A special challenge for students, sponsored by recent graduates, fostered friendly competition among a wide range of clubs and organizations. Devra Gelman (CAS’17) encouraged her network of friends to give back to support her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, which ended up taking the top slot in the competition, winning $500 in bonus funds.
“I chose to support my sorority and encouraged my sisters to do the same for Giving Day because I wanted to give back to something that gives me so much,” Gelman says. “I believe it’s important to show your support and create a philanthropic spirit as students. I’m so happy my sisters contributed with me.”
Campus a cappella group Chordially Yours took second place and Chi Phi fraternity came in third. Donors made over 300 gifts to clubs and organizations, and 1,700 students contributed a total of $21,000 on Giving Day.
Find more information about Giving Day on the event’s website. Leaderboards have been updated to reflect winners of the daylong and hourly challenges; view student challenge results here. Review photos and video from the day by searching the hashtag #BUGivingDay on social media platforms or visiting the BU Alumni Association on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Watch a video of BU’s third annual Giving Day here.
Lindsay A. Roth can be reached at liroth@bu.edu.
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