With the launch of its 2018 Giving Tuesday campaign on Nov. 1, Kent State University has again transformed what was just a one-day fundraising initiative into a monthlong giving campaign to support student scholarships, expanded programs, study away initiatives and 21st-century facilities. Giving Tuesday, traditionally the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which occurs on Nov. 27 this year, is the unofficial worldwide beginning to a season of philanthropic giving to nonprofits that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Keeping with her tradition, Kent State President Beverly J. Warren has pledged personal financial support to campus initiatives. This year, her support is designated to graduate and undergraduate research scholarships.
To encourage university inclusiveness in the monthlong giving celebration, the campaign includes a crowdfunding feature. In addition to being able to make individual donations, students, faculty, staff and supporters can create individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages for the cause of their choice. In addition, for every 15 unique donors who give $25 or more to one of more than 40 featured funds, the Kent State University Foundation will award a $500 participation boost.
“Last year, the Giving Tuesday campaign raised a record-breaking $1 million,” said Stephen G. Sokany, vice president for institutional advancement at Kent State and executive director of the Kent State University Foundation. “This year, we decided to provide even more ways for people to participate, and for those who love the university to spearhead fundraising initiatives to support the areas that matter most to them. The Kent State University Foundation will recognize these efforts by adding our participation boosts to help raise the bar on giving.”
There are 44 featured giving options during this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign, and each one has a matching gift available, so donors can double the impact that their gift makes. Along with the foundation’s participation incentive and President Warren’s pledge, it was announced today that the Kent State University Foundation will match gifts one-to-one up to $1,000 on Tuesday, Nov. 27, to any fund on campus. The total amount of matching dollars available this year is $299,949.
New this year, a number of the featured funds secured matching gift donors through community foundations and local corporations, growing the reach of the Giving Tuesday campaign. The Taylor Hall Gallery and Lecture Series, a part of the College of Communications and Information, received a pledge of $10,000 to match gifts made to its fund from Brokaw, a Cleveland-based advertising agency. The Ohio Arts Council has pledged $2,249 to support the East Meets West Scholarship, a study abroad program in the School of Theatre and Dance. Also, University Hospitals Sports Medicine has pledged $5,000 to match gifts to any Kent State Athletics fund during the month.
Many creative and innovative fundraising initiatives have already seen success since kicking off on Nov. 1. The Kent State wrestling team livestreamed a phone-a-thon on Facebook during the Kent State Duals on Nov. 2. In the first two days following the campaign launch, the team received donations from 55 alumni donors totaling more than $4,000. The Kent State track and field/cross-country team also held a phone-a-thon, which received more than $9,000 in donations from 105 alumni donors.
“With all of the different matching options and participation boosts, Giving Tuesday provides Kent State supporters the opportunity to multiply their gifts this month,” Vice President Sokany said. “We’re so grateful for the support of our alumni and friends and look forward to seeing the far-reaching impact that this month of giving will have on the future of Kent State.”
Kent State’s Giving Tuesday began Nov. 1 and will run through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Information on all the Giving Tuesday initiatives can be found at www.kent.edu/GivingTuesday.
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Media Contacts:
Eric Mansfield, emansfie@kent.edu, 330-672-2797
Danielle Hupp, drhupp@kent.edu, 330-672-9507