Grand Canyon University supporters during Thursday’s Day of Giving helped the university raise more than $1.2 million through 3,319 gifts, with those funds going to benefit various university colleges, clubs and other causes.
The total was on par with last year’s total charitable haul, which topped $1 million.
The 24-hour online giving campaign launched in 2021, when it raised almost $207,000 by the end of campaign day.
In its sixth year, the Day of Giving, organized by the Office of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, provides an online platform for every club, sport, college and cause to raise money for whatever their needs may be.
This year, donors could pledge gifts to everything from the LOPES Academy, a two-year, nondegree program for neurodivergent individuals; to Fostering Futures, a scholarship and support program for current and former foster youth attending college; to Grace.Grit.Glory. and Women’s Sports; to nursing scholarships.
Senior Director of Annual Giving Cherylann Galdi, who oversees the event and keeps track of donations, said, “Day of Giving has over 180 causes to donate to across campus, and there are over 120 student-led clubs and organizations participating.”
To hype up the online giving campaign, around 11 a.m. Thursday, the GCU Spirit teams – that’s Dance, Cheer, the GCU Thundering Herd Pep Band and mascot Thunder – made a resounding noise on the Promenade, performing a few cheers near the Day of Giving table.
Students could pose at a photo area and share their photos on social media to get the word out. It also was where cheerleaders declared what they were raising money for: to go to the Universal Cheerleaders Association Nationals, coming up in January in Orlando, Florida, and United Spirit Association Nationals, coming up in February in Anaheim, California. As of today, the group raised more than $2,100 for just that.
And the Thundering Herd Pep Band said it was raising money for new equipment and travel. Its total: a little more than $1,700.
A thousand students pledged to be Day of Giving Ambassadors. They work to spread the word about the event through social media and marketing.
“We teach them how to fundraise, including providing social media packages that have templates and outlines they can copy and paste to their social media platforms,” said Jacquelyn Trboyevich, annual giving and alumni relations specialist.
Starting in September, families, friends and other supporters could start making pledges to a specific organization through their specified links leading up to the big event.
“It is a chance for the ‘little man’ to raise money,” Trboyevich said of smaller clubs and everyday students raising funds for something they’re passionate about.
Each club had the opportunity to set up a table on the Promenade for a specific time to share their cause.
Sophomore Neyda Sandoval is studying mechanical engineering and was tabling for GCU’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. The group wants to attend a national conference in Boston for women in engineering.
“We hope to raise money so we can fund the girls who want to attend the conference and not have to worry about budget,” Sandoval said.
Aside from donations, SWE members were selling bracelets, keychains, candles, plants and even flower bouquets to meet their goal.
Sandoval’s wish is that every woman will be able to attend the conference, no matter their financial need.
Some of the top fund raisers this year included the Lopes Club, whose total was $351,289; GCU Greatest Needs, which raised $334,012; and Club Sports, $265,355.
"We are consistently blessed by the generosity of Lope Nation," Galdi said. "The culture of philanthropy at GCU continues to grow and is a testament to the excellence of programs and student experiences we have here. Day of Giving gives our nearly 1,000 student Ambassadors an opportunity to promote what is important to them, and their efforts have shone bright again this year."
GCU News student writer Jessica Walters can be reached at [email protected]
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Check out the GCU Giving Day Page here.
