On Tuesday, alumni, parents, and friends of the University from across the country and around the world came together to help make this year’s GivingToHoosDay the most successful one yet.
GivingToHoosDay is a 24-hour, University-wide day of giving that celebrates UVa and its many schools, programs, and initiatives. This far-reaching and well-publicized pledge drive encourages the entire UVa community to donate to the school, department, program, or CIO of their choice. This year, there was a special incentive to donate: the University’s schools and programs would be able to secure $1.7 million in matching funds
According to an email from Mark M. Luellen, the Vice President for Advancement at the University, initial results from GivingToHoosDay 2018 show that the UVa community raised just over $4.3 million from nearly 7,000 gifts – an increase of more than 36 percent from the $3.2 million raised last year on GivingToHoosDay.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students met on the South Lawn to thank donors for their support to the University by participating in the first-ever GivingToHoosDay stewardship event. Students had the opportunity to write over a thousand thank you notes for donors and create “Thank View” videos expressing their gratitude for the continued generosity of the UVa community, all while eating donuts and receiving “Give Back” t-shirts.
Although fundraising for the University happens year-round, GivingToHoosDay is unique in that it exists as a concerted effort by UVa administration and staff to gain unrestricted support for many essential aspects of the University- a critical need due to the drastic general decline in funding to public universities. Tuesday’s day of giving brought in gifts from 22 countries and all 50 states, reflecting a commitment to the University shared by donors worldwide.
For more statistics from GivingToHoosDay 2018, please visit: https://givingtohoosday.virginia.edu/
