Victoria Bresnahan—News Editor
To incentvize students to participate in the university’s upcoming Giving Day—which encourages alumni, students, faculty and others to donate monetary gifts to the institution—on April 1 the Student Government Association voted to allocate $1,800 from their reserves for one of the fundraising events.
On Giving Day, members of clubs and organizations will be competing with each other to raise at least $500 for the chance to win a prize. This will take place over a 24 hour period.
“I think the time crunch is a good incentive to do it though,” said SGA Representative-at-Large Sarah Gossman, at the weekly SGA meeting.
The allocated $1,800 will be split into $800 for first place, $600 for second place and $400 for third place winners to deposit into their fundraising account. Money in the account gets rolled over each year and provides a “foundation” for clubs, said Office of Student Involvement Assistant Director Daphney Alston, at the meeting.
“I think every club, if we are giving them money, is gonna be fortunate,” said Gossman. “Even if it’s from $10 to $1,000. Like, any little bit is going to help a club or organization.”
Alston said her office recommended to the Office of Institutional Advancement that clubs and organizations be designated a page as part of Giving Day, for members to “compete amongst each other to raise the most money.”
“So, the Biology Club would get a page and if I’m a Biology Club alum or member or faculty member I would go to the links specifically for Biology Club and donate money,” she said.
Clubs and organizations are encouraged to promote themselves on social media to garner outside donations during Giving Day, but they should be raising it through their club as well, said Alston. If no clubs reach the $500 threshold, no prizes will be given.
In addition, clubs and organizations can collaborate together to work towards the donation goal, according to Alston. The SGA body decided to cap the number of clubs who can work together at four.
Alston said the university aims to raise about $125,000 during the day. Last year, the university raised $84,758 from 526 donors, according to the university’s 2018 Giving Day webpage.
“The hope is to get faculty, staff, students alike to give,” Alston said, “but including alumni, community members, people just in general who believe in Southern and want to see Southern progress.”
The body also voted unanimously to allocate up to $150 to purchase cupcakes for an event at Giving Day. Students will purchase a cupcake and receive a ticket that could possibly win them a parking spot in the faculty lot outside Engleman Hall for the academic year.
“The two to three dollars that they pay would go towards the annual giving day goal,” said Alston.
The allocation and plan for this year’s Giving Day will not necessarily apply to future years.
“Southern is catching up,” said Alston, “and getting more involved.”
