Fresno State’s third annual 24-hour, online Day of Giving rallied a record 2,161 individual donors from 40 states and 10 countries in support of scholarships, research, programs and student experiences.
Individual donors included alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends of the University.
Preliminary estimates show the amount contributed was $550,366 a 20% increase over last year. In 2018, the campaign inspired 2,142 individual donors for a total of $456,831.99.
“It is beyond inspiring on a day like this one to see the sheer number of people locally, nationally and around the world who feel a special connection to Fresno State that motivates them to give back in support of the University and its students,” said Paula Castadio, vice president for University Advancement. “Each and every person who chose to give demonstrated the strength of Fresno State in the Valley and beyond. We are truly grateful for the generosity of so many.”
The digital fundraising campaign encouraged donors to make a gift to one of Fresno State’s eight schools and colleges or the campus division or program of their choice.
Many donors gave multiple times to support what they are passionate about, resulting in 2,877 total gifts across various colleges, departments and program areas of Fresno State.
All funds raised will be used for programs and initiatives to help fulfill Fresno State’s mission “to boldly educate and empower our students for success.” Donations to the campaign will make possible benefits for students such as scholarships, internship programs, research and improved learning spaces.
A live leaderboard tracked the money raised throughout the day, providing minute-by-minute updates on the campaign’s website, https://dayofgiving.fresnostate.edu.
Day of Giving digital ambassadors — volunteers who helped push out the campaign’s message to their own networks via personal social media posts and emails to secure donors — created their own unique URLs to track their progress throughout the campaign.
The campaign was trending on social media throughout the day. Day of Giving posts on official Fresno State accounts received over 900,000 impressions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram combined. The hashtag #FresnoStateDOG received more than 430,000 impressions, thanks to the excitement of fans, friends and ambassadors of the University posting on their own accounts to make this day a success.
Students also were involved in events held throughout the day, including an early-morning rally along Shaw Avenue outside the Save Mart Center to increase awareness of the campaign and express gratitude to the community.
Fresno State’s Day of Giving was a part of a growing national trend for dedicated giving days that have become popular at many universities across the nation.
