Case Western Reserve University’s Student Run Health Clinic got a shot in the arm this week: On #GivingTuesdayAtCWRU, supporters donated $17,675 to the organization, which brings together students from the university’s dental, medical, nursing and social work schools to provide free healthcare to Greater Cleveland residents.
The clinic’s fundraising led a record-shattering day for the overall university campaign, as 444 people gave $90,732 to 90 student-led organizations and initiatives. Alumni and friends comprised half the donor pool, while parents accounted for 26%, students 15%, and faculty and staff 14%.
Engineers Without Borders, an undergraduate group that applies multidisciplinary design into work for humanitarian causes, had the highest donor count, with 41 people who gave $3,251.
Several groups participating in the crowdfunding event for the first time had successful debuts, including the Jewish Student Union with more than $3,000 in gifts and CWRU Baja with nearly $2,000.
While the day included many impressive team performances, several individuals went above and beyond to rally support for their causes, including PhD candidate Ayesha Gonzales. As president of the Physics Graduate Student Association, Gonzales led her organization’s drive to foster fellowship, community and diversity in the physics department.
Her online advocacy alone generated nearly $3,000 in gifts, which will in part fund a lounge for the physics department, where the group can meet. “We’re trying to move the timeline along by putting our own resources [into] it as much as possible,” she said. “The donor support really helps us.”
Gonzales credits the group as a catalyst for unity and discussion in the department.
“So far, it’s been the central point amongst our graduate program where students can build our community together,” she said, noting it also provides a forum to hear from students and share their experiences with faculty. “We want to make sure [all] our students are taken care of.”