Tuesday, March 10 marks a highly anticipated event for Spring Hill students and staff members known as Give Day!
This event got its start in 2015 as a student project. Two Communication Arts students -- Megan St. Germain and Erin Vogel -- were able to use this day of campaigning to raise a little over $60,000 for Spring Hill College. Due to this first success, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations made it an annual event.
This year marks the fifth year that Spring Hill College will be conducting its Give Day campaign to impact the student experience. Cris Smith is the Director of Annual Giving for the Office of Alumni Relations and Development. Last year, Smith came up with the idea to incorporate the school’s foundation year of 1830 to the amount of time that people have to contribute to the campaign. As he is the coordinator for Give Day, the entire office pulls together to make it all happen.
With 18 hours and 30 minutes running down the clock, the entire school must come together through multiple mediums to spread the word in order to receive gifts for the school. Give Day is a popular method of fundraising for campuses across the country. It brings together a wide community of people from all over to share and reach a common goal. Smith said, “It’s not as much dependent on if someone wants to participate. They don’t need to feel the pressure of, ‘I need to make an extremely large gift,’ because what makes those successful is, ‘I make a gift, I share that I made a gift on my social media, other people see it, other people have the same passions that I have.’ They will say, ‘Oh, you know what, I need to make a gift too because I love Spring Hill also.’”
Due to the use of social media, personal contacts and people getting involved this fundraiser will be powered up to not only be interactive but also surpass incentive goals. Sending the campaign event page — a place to give online — through social media and email is how this institution can spread awareness about Give Day. The more people that know, the more donations we can hopefully count on for student scholarship opportunities.
A combination of many small gifts along with big gifts make all the difference. Anybody can make a gift for major and minor divisions, teams and centers on campus that inspire the success of all students. All of it counts toward the overall goal of influencing, inspiring and igniting students to be the best versions of themselves. Freshman Maureen Cranley said, “I’m on the Pre-Med track, and my favorite course is my Microbiology Lab with Dr. Culberson. We need better working computers in the chemistry lab.”
Sophomore Grace Riley said, “The women’s soccer field is destroyed, so we can’t practice on it. I hope we get enough gifts to fix our field and improve our program. The women’s soccer team is big on empowering women, in order for us to continue this ideal any gift would help.” Because this entire campaign is dependent on social media, any division, team or center should be proactively using their online profiles to increase participation and proceeds for what they care about on and around campus.
This is the first year that the seniors are getting really involved with Spring Hill’s Give Day. The school has made it possible for donors to give specifically to the senior class. Engagement Ambassadors, formerly known as Philanthropy Interns, will be in the cafeteria on March 10 to help remind students about the importance of Give Day as well as answering any questions students may have.
If successful this year, the Give Day impact goal for all Give Days will exceed $1 million. As if that were not enough incentive to get people to spread the news on Give Day, be on the lookout for a sweet treat in the cafeteria that day as well.