Show your love for the University during the second annual Giving Day
Giving Day runs from noon on Feb. 14 to noon on Feb. 15.
University of Arizona Giving Day is a 24-hour period dedicated to making a difference together as a Wildcat community. The University's second Giving Day will begin at noon on Feb. 14 and end the following day at noon.
The goal of Giving Day is high participation. When many supporters pool their resources, they expand the University's capacity to serve.
"University of Arizona Giving Day exemplifies our core values: compassion," said Liesl Folks, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "As faculty and staff, our collective efforts on Giving Day give us the opportunity to make a difference. No matter the amount of your gift, know that it will make an impact."
Faculty and staff are important contributors to University fundraising. In 2020, employees gave almost a quarter-million dollars through UA Cares, the University's annual workplace giving campaign. The total for 2021 is not yet available.
The first Giving Day was celebrated during Homecoming 2020. Supporters from 41 states gave $1,052,278 for student success initiatives and scholarships. While the first Giving Day was exclusively focused on student support, this year's effort invites participants to give to any University cause or causes they find meaningful.
Giving Day will include matching challenges to further amplify the impact of certain gifts, said Krista Voth, director of annual giving.
"This year's Giving Day is driven by colleges and units and their fundraising priorities," Voth said.
In addition to making gifts, employees can contribute by asking people they know to serve as ambassadors, who spread the word about Giving Day on social media and with their personal networks.
"Ambassadors play an important role in the success of Giving Day because studies have shown donors are twice as likely to give when asked by people they know," Voth said.
Giving Day includes an in-person event on the Mall – between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 – in which student organizations will compete to win funds that support scholarships and student programs. Attendees will be invited to write thank-you valentines to University donors, pick up Giving Day stickers and take pictures in a photo booth.