Stories

A record number of gifts from Santa Clara University alumni and supporters helped raise more than $2 million during the sixth annual Day of Giving on March 7. 

The 24-hour celebration accomplished its goal of supporting 181 academic departments, athletics teams, schools, centers, and scholarship funds through individual gifts ranging from $5 to $100,000.

Enthusiastic supporters helped raise $2,025,730 through a chart-busting 5,747 individual gifts—many of which were matched by dedicated donors providing funds to incentivize others to support causes dear to them. Donations flowed from almost every state, as well as countries such as Canada (14 gifts); United Kingdom (6); Ireland (5); New Zealand (2); and Australia, Thailand, Spain, France and the Philippines, each of which produced one gift.

“Day of Giving was a success in many more ways than just the dollars raised,” said James Lyons, vice president for University Relations. “This day funds programs that directly help thousands of students. It also energizes alumni and supporters to remember and cheer the programs and people that they feel passionately about, from sports to ethics, from first-generation students to schools and professors. This day helps solidify connections and sets the tone for many proud Bronco moments year round.”

Twenty-five units or programs featured special challenges created by donors to spur participation, 15 of which met or exceeded their challenge goals. Those included a $50,000 gift to the Center for Sustainability, provided by Dorian Daley ‘86 and Michael Krautkramer, for successfully eliciting 238 gifts; $18,600 matched by an anonymous donor who challenged classmates in the Class of 1984 to give generously; and a $36,500 participation challenge gift provided by the Markkula Foundation and a generous group of advisory board members, for achieving 100 gifts to the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Among the units that raised the most money were Athletics ($367,967 from 1,865 gifts); the Leavey School of Business ($249,723 from 283 gifts); the Santa Clara Fund, which supports the most urgent needs of undergraduates including scholarships, academic enhancements, study abroad/immersion trips, and student initiatives ($135,032 from 521 gifts), and the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education ($100,856 from 170 gifts).

The one-day effort was supported by weeks of planning by dozens of University employees. Among the advance work:

• 84 e-mails went to more than 105,995 alumni, friends, and past supporters, sharing news of the Day of Giving and urging support
• University Marketing and Communications’ social media team helped create 15-second videos for 36 separate units— from the business school to men’s water polo—each exhorting supporters to give to that particular program
• Hundreds of posts on Instagram, a hugely popular social media platform for student and alumni, engaged users from all across campus
• More than 525 Bronco Ambassadors raised over $179,000 by using their own social media networks to encourage giving.

The full results for the day can be found on the Day of Giving website.