On April 8 and 9, the University of Utah hosted its seventh annual Giving Day. It was launched at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and went until 3:49 p.m. on Wednesday. Giving Day has become a U tradition where alumni, parents, students, donors and the community come together to invest in the university.
This year’s Giving Day lasted 1,850 minutes to honor the year of the U’s founding, aligning itself with the theme of the 175th anniversary of the U.
“The U fundraises 365 days a year, but this is the only time we all come together from our health partners, our campus success, our student success, auxiliary areas and more,” said Rachel Robertson, senior director of annual giving. “It’s not just about fundraising. It’s about engaging and sharing why you love the U.”
What makes this Giving Day different from previous years is that donors get to select what their donation will go towards. There were over 100 projects from several different areas that Giving Day funds can go to.
“It goes where the wants, all the colleges, student areas, all those things can receive donations,” Robertson said.
Along with U-centered donations, donors also have the opportunity to support student projects. The Rapid Access Contraception Clinic is an example of a student project that has benefited from the donations of Giving Day.
The early adopters for Giving Day included the U West Valley project, which promotes mental health in K-12 schools and the Basic Needs Collective, which provides resource referrals to students on campus.
To tie in the U’s monumental 175th Anniversary, anyone that donated over $175 received a token of appreciation. To tie in a larger audience, the U’s Instagram posted throwback photos and impact posts.
“Giving Day is always so awesome because it gets gifts from around the globe,” Robertson said. There have been donations from Korea, Taiwan and more.
Last year, the U raised over $1.8 million on Giving Day and each year the U receives about 4,000 to 5,000 contributors.
With each year that goes on, there are hopes to improve and keep bettering Giving Day.
This year, over $2.1 million was raised in the span of two days, proving to be the most successful Giving Day that the U has had.
“Student success overall raised $132,000, which is really exciting because that covers so many different areas, like the Basic Needs Collective, Feed U Pantry, scholarships, all things that are directly related to students,” said Kelsey Rodgers, the director of annual giving at the U.
U of U Health raised $263,000. The area that raised the most was colleges and departments, which received $1.4 million in donations.
This year’s Giving Day also had more accessible opportunities for students who might not have the funds to give a large donation. Pepsi sponsored a cash grab event, where they gave $10,000 to students and faculty. Whoever walked by this event could grab money and donate their desired amount to Giving Day.
“It was a really cool opportunity for students to get to feel what it’s like to be a philanthropist and to be able to donate to things that they care about when maybe they don’t have the funds right now,” Rodgers said.
