Editor’s note: A previous version of this story reported incomplete data. The story has been updated with the new information.
In its 12th year, Case Western Reserve University’s Day of Giving was driven by the strength of first-time donors—868 in all—accounting for 31% of gifts received during the 24-hour crowdfunding campaign.
This year, 2,835 students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends contributed $1,894,635—the highest number of donors and second-highest result in the campaign’s history. (The 2021 Day of Giving recorded $2.3 million in gifts.)
The Day of Giving—a collective effort of the university’s schools and college, athletic teams and student organizations—encourages campaign-style, online fundraising.
Schools, athletic teams, organizations and other groups took to social media to share the #CWRUGives hashtag and spread the word about the event. One example came from medical student Brian Bangs, who explained in a video how gifts made on Day of Giving help continue the legacy of the school.
Matches and challenges played a significant role in maximizing impact, such as:
- School of Law Co-Deans Jessica Berg and Michael Scharf matched $2,000 in gifts, dollar for dollar.
- The university’s Board of Trustees donated $20,000 for every 500 donors, raising an additional $80,000.
- The Jason Madachy Foundation’s match raised $3,400 to provide stethoscopes to incoming MD students at the School of Medicine.
The President’s Strategic Initiative Fund garnered the most of any fund at $106,015 in gifts, while the softball team logged 257 donors—the highest count of any school or campus organization.
Nearly one-quarter of Day of Giving donors were alumni, while students accounted for 8% of the donor total.
“It was truly inspiring to see our community unite in support of the university,” said Candace Harmon, director of annual giving at CWRU. “This demonstrates the profound significance Case Western Reserve holds for alumni, faculty, staff, students and their families alike.”
As part of the celebration, the Office of Annual Giving hosted an event at Tinkham Veale University Center to spread the word on campus. There, students wrote thank-you notes to the donors who fuel research and collaboration at Case Western Reserve, while they enjoyed cookies and took photos with Spartie.
“Thank you for your support of every CWRU student’s personal and academic goals,” one student wrote. “Your support is the reason we’re able to accomplish all we do.”