Last Tuesday, the Office of Development launched the University’s first Giving Tuesday. In just 24 hours, 258 gifts were raised totaling $56,506 in support. This tremendous show of support marks the largest number of gifts made in one day in University history. This achievement was largely influenced by the investment in our new online giving platform, giving.up.edu, with 182 donors giving online.
Giving was inspired by $15,000 in generous matching funds provided by the Aplet Family and the Demorest Family Foundation, which matched $100 to each of the first 150 gifts. These gifts support student scholarships and the Immediate Assistance Fund for Students – a fund specifically designed to meet emergency financial needs for students facing unexpected hardships.
Along with the impressive results, the collective participation of 76 parents, 71 alumni, 61 students, and 16 faculty and staff is a testament to the heart of our community – a community that is eager to come together and make a difference in the lives of University of Portland students.
The Office of Development would like to extend our gratitude to the 16 faculty and staff members who made a gift on Giving Tuesday, the Office of Marketing for multi-channel graphic design and social media, the participation of the Senior Class Gift Committee, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the Athletics Department, and everyone who liked, shared, and promoted #UPGives and #GivingTuesday on social media.
In its fifth year, Giving Tuesday is a global day of philanthropy following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday 2016 resulted in $168 million dollars and 1.56 million gifts raised across the globe. The Office of Development’s new giving platform vendor, iModules, is a partner in the Giving Tuesday data project which means that our efforts are included in this global tally.
To see the office UP Giving Tuesday Results Infographic, visit giving.up.edu.