Fresno State’s second annual Day of Giving (D.O.G.) campaign will feature 24 hours of online giving to support student success, from midnight through 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1.
Last year’s first ever Day of Giving resulted in alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students and friends raising $424,755 from 1,123 unique donors for students within Fresno State’s schools, colleges and University programs.
Fresno State hopes to reach 1,200 unique donors on Nov. 1. A live leaderboard will track progress throughout the day, providing real-time updates on the campaign website, https://dayofgiving.fresnostate.edu.
“This year’s goal again focuses on donor participation rather than setting a dollar objective,” said Paula Castadio, Fresno State’s vice president for University Advancement. “Day of Giving inspires a culture of philanthropy to advance our University and community. Alumni and friends will realize the difference they can make together in helping students achieve their dreams and strengthen our region.”
Events to inspire community support will continue throughout the day, beginning with a rally outside of the Save Mart Center from 5 to 8 a.m. at the northwest corner of Shaw and Chestnut avenues. The Shehadey Tower will be illuminated red.
From noon to 1 p.m. students will sign a large thank-you board at the Maple Mall. This activity combined with the messages stamped on the ground around campus will reinforce the power of philanthropy on student success.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse will sponsor a challenge from 6 to 7 p.m. — the Fresno State Pride Selfie Challenge offering $1,500 to the college, school or program that generates the best selfie in support of their cause. The restaurant will also present a happy hour D.O.G. celebration with a no-host bar from 5 to 7 p.m. Staff, faculty, alumni and friends are invited to visit the Fresno restaurant (639 E. Shaw Ave., Suite 149) to celebrate the day and refuel to finish out the evening strong.
Like last year, schools, colleges, divisions and participating areas can earn bonus funds up to $15,000, provided by the Fresno State Alumni Association thanks to generous donations by alumni, throughout the day with hourly challenges. Challenges are designed to create awareness of and excitement about the campaign throughout the 24 hours. The President’s Office has generously offered $60,000 to challenge all areas to increase donor participation.
The college, division or area that receives the first donation after midnight will win the first challenge — $1,000 in bonus funds.
Day of Giving digital ambassadors — volunteers who help push out the campaign’s message to their own networks via personal social media posts and emails to encourage donors — will once again create their own unique URLs to track their progress in driving support throughout the campaign. Their efforts will significantly help to expand the reach of the campaign. Additionally, word of mouth between alumni and friends will spread locally and across the globe to increase the number of Fresno State supporters.
All funds raised will be used for programs and initiatives to help fulfill Fresno State’s mission “to boldly educate and empower our students for success.” Donations to the campaign will make possible benefits for students such as scholarships, internship programs and improved learning spaces.
Last year, the campaign was trending on social media throughout the day. The hashtags #FresnoStateDOG and #FeedTheDOG were used more than 2,800 times and received more than 23 million Twitter impressions. University posts on Facebook reached more than 350,000 people. See the Day of Giving website for a list of donor opportunities.
Fresno State’s Day of Giving is part of a growing national trend for university fundraising.
