Drexel’s Codebreakers Help Raise Over $800K on Day of Giving
By Ben Seal
Drexel University’s second annual Day of Giving was a smashing success, exceeding all expectations by raising $824,534 from 3,707 donors to help further the University’s academic mission.
As students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends gathered around campus (and online) on May 24 to help break the code and unlock bonus donations, the day captured the energy and spirit of the Drexel community. Although the time capsule left by founder Anthony J. Drexel was more of an idea than an object, the scavenger hunt to find clues and the group effort required to unlock it were very real. The Drexel Fund had set a target of 1,250 donors and ended up with nearly three times that amount.
“When we started talking about secret time capsules, scavenger hunt-style bonus clues, and puzzle solving, we had hoped having a theme that was a little nerdy and (we thought) also cool might catch the interest of our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” said Ivy Lane, director of The Drexel Fund. “Our goal was to tie that into philanthropy to demonstrate that giving back isn’t a transaction — it’s an experience, and it can be fun to make an impact at Drexel. We are so excited about the amount of momentum and enthusiasm it generated on Day of Giving, and floored by the support — 3,707 donors giving $824,000 in a single day is truly amazing. And, in this particular case, it was a lot of fun.”
The donors during the 24-hour event came from 46 states, 10 countries and five continents, and every class since 1961 was represented, along with several earlier classes, including 1949. The highest amount of alumni donors came from the Class of 2016, and 46 percent of alumni gifts came from graduates in the last 10 years.
“We had hoped to repeat the success of last year’s Day of Giving, but we were blown away by the level of support from the Drexel community this year,” said Lizz Miller, associate director of The Drexel Fund. “Drexel is an incredible place, and to see the community come together to support students in such a big way is amazing.”
Those students contributed to the fun, too, with the most student gifts coming from the Class of 2020. The LeBow College of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences received the most direct support from faculty and staff donors. And the area of Drexel with the most donors, the wrestling team, cleared its goal of 400 donations. If the Twitter account of team member Matthew Cimato, a graduate student in the Kline School of Law, is meant to be believed, coach Matt Azevedo will soon be wearing a romper to work.
All in all, the day represented the best of Drexel and will help pave the way for the University to do even more good in the future.
“For the second year, Drexel’s alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends demonstrated incredible creativity and passion in supporting our University and our vibrant and talented students and faculty,” said David Unruh, senior vice president of Institutional Advancement. “I’m impressed and incredibly proud to be part of a community that can come together and affect so much good in such a short period of time. Thank you to everybody who contributed!”