Bulldog spirit flowed across the globe for Day of Giving on Nov. 4 as 1,718 Fresno State alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students gave online donations to help fund programs and initiatives on campus.
Fresno State’s fifth annual 24-hour, online giving campaign inspired 2,373 total gifts from 35 states and six countries to support scholarships, research, programs and student experiences.
Preliminary estimates show donors contributed $486,543, topping last year’s total of $457,166 by more than 6%. Total donors and total gifts each increased by 10% compared to last year.
“The bond between Fresno State and the thousands of alumni and friends who demonstrate their support of the University is nothing short of inspiring,” said Paula Castadio, vice president for University Advancement. “Each and every person who participated with a gift on Day of Giving signaled the value and impact of Fresno State in the Valley and around the globe. These gifts will provide opportunities for students to excel and become the next generation of leaders in their communities.”
This year, with many students, faculty and staff back on campus, there were in-person and virtual events showcasing various areas of the University. Individual donors included alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends of the University. Gifts came in from as far away as Spain, Great Britain, Canada, Japan and Portugal.
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 2,373 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.
Supporters took to social media throughout the day to share their passion for Fresno State. The campaign hashtag, #FresnoStateDOG received millions of impressions on Twitter alone. Day of Giving posts from official Fresno State accounts received hundreds of thousands of impressions and engagements thanks to the excitement of fans, friends and ambassadors of the University.
Dozens of students, alumni and community members participated in social media challenges, sharing their favorite memories from Fresno State or offering advice to future Bulldogs. Some lucky students walked away with scavenger hunt prizes found around campus, and other supporters won Fresno State cornhole sets by participating on social media.
Fresno State’s Day of Giving was born in 2017 as part of a growing national trend for dedicated giving days that have become popular at many universities across the nation.
