Rutgers to Host Sixth Giving Day on March 24
Giving Day will be virtual this year, but its impacts will not be
When the clock strikes midnight on Wednesday, March 24, alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the university will unite to help Rutgers help the world.
Giving Day, an annual 24-hour event organized by Rutgers University Foundation, encourages Rutgers community members from around the world to contribute to the Rutgers schools and programs most meaningful to them. It helps fund lifesaving research, emergency student aid, on-campus programs, global teaching and service and more.
This year’s Giving Day, Rutgers’ sixth, occurs at a time when philanthropy, advocacy and volunteerism take on heightened importance at the university, which has led nationally in the fight against COVID-19 and provided millions of dollars in emergency support to students adversely affected by the pandemic.
On Rutgers Giving Day, participants can:
- Make a tax-deductible gift to their favorite Rutgers area at givingday.rutgers.edu.
- Spread the word on social media by using #RUGivingDay.
- Participate in virtual challenges throughout the day to help their favorite Rutgers areas win additional support, like sharing a save-the-date video for a chance to award $500 toward the Rutgers fund they find most meaningful.
Though Giving Day will be held entirely online again this year due to the pandemic, the university aims to exceed the 5,790 donors who participated in the event in 2020.
“Rutgers is more than an institution. It is a source of hope for a lot of people,” said Nevin E. Kessler, president of Rutgers University Foundation. “And year after year Rutgers Giving Day demonstrates this by offering a wide variety of causes to support. What’s remarkable is that each cause has the capacity to make positive change happen.”
One of the programs that donors can contribute to is the Scarlet Promise Grants – essential need-based awards for talented students to help them close the gap between financial aid and tuition costs. On his first day in office in July 2020, Rutgers University president Jonathan Holloway personally donated $75,000 to kick off a $10 million fundraising campaign for the grants. To date, nearly 3,000 donors have stepped up to support Scarlet Promise Grants with gifts and pledges that put the campaign at 75 percent of its goal.
Giving Day challenges can be viewed in advance at givingday.rutgers.edu. Rutgers community members are encouraged to review the Rutgers Giving Day toolkit for materials and suggested messaging to help spread the word and encourage others to give.
“A gift on Rutgers Giving Day can support researchers fighting COVID-19, climate change, cancer and more,” said Kessler. “Donors can enhance a favorite school or program, or they can empower the next generation of young, brilliant leaders. The choice is theirs.”
For more information about Rutgers Giving Day, please contact Todd Lineburger of Rutgers University Foundation at todd.lineburger@ruf.rutgers.edu.
About Rutgers University Foundation
Rutgers University Foundation raises funds to support Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The foundation is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization. Learn more at support.rutgers.edu.
