Support for third annual Giving Day surpasses $1M goal

Last Thursday, April 25, the University of Calgary celebrated its third annual Giving Day. This year’s event — bolstered by a series of light-hearted faculty- and staff-focused videos that pit the complexity of the university’s academic research against the simplicity of making a gift — drew a record number of supporters, and eclipsed its fundraising goal of $1 million by more than $100,000.

As every year, many donors were compelled by the unique Giving Day-only opportunity to have their donation funds matched, up to $2,500, for a limited time leading up to and during the event. More than 1,400 individuals, foundations and corporations gave to common causes of their choice, from in-memoriam scholarships to targeted cancer research projects and meaningful community partnerships.

Designed to ignite alumni pride and bring awareness to the university’s critical role in educating our future leaders and fuelling research in every sector, the event shone a spotlight on UCalgary’s deep connection to the Calgary community and far beyond. “Every year, I’m blown away by what a difference a day makes,” says Nuvyn Peters, vice-president of development and alumni engagement. “We’re building an exciting tradition with UCalgary Giving Day — one in which we celebrate our collective impact and continue to loudly and proudly cheer on our students and researchers as they change our world. I’m so grateful for the outpouring of support from our one-of-a-kind community.”

For 24 hours, the student call centre was a spirited hub of both outgoing and incoming donor calls, and hosted friendly competitions throughout the day to raise the needle on each faculty’s fundraising objectives. This year, several deans, faculty, staff and volunteers including Chancellor Deborah Yedlin joined student callers for a record day of engagement and celebrating of philanthropic impact.

Head of the Department for Astronomy and Physics, Dr. David Knudsen, PhD, took his first turn in the call centre, reaching out to several alumni. “It was a very energetic and positive experience,” says Knudsen, who ,moved by the camaraderie and team spirit of the day, made a gift to his own faculty.

Final results for the one-day campaign are still being tallied and will be shared in the coming weeks. No matter the final number, Giving Day’s value is immeasurable as a milestone in building a culture of philanthropy on campus and in the community.

Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High is the University of Calgary transformative fundraising initiative that fuels excellence in student experiences, research outcomes and community connections. Thanks to the generosity of UCalgary’s friends and supporters, we are igniting discovery, creativity and innovation to make lasting positive change at the University of Calgary, in our city and beyond. The Energize campaign is more than three-quarters to its overall goal of $1.3 billion.