By Emily Glory Peters
The Giving Season is a year-end campaign to raise support as our students enter the new year. To learn more, click here.This past November, 61传媒 launched 鈥淭he Giving Season鈥� which sought to inspire 300 donors to make a gift before midnight on New Year鈥檚 Eve. Thanks to the generosity of our alumnae, parents, staff, and friends, the campaign raced past that number before the deadline with a total of 403 donors giving $224,578 in support of our students.
Among the most popular giving areas were scholarship aid, academic programs, campus enhancement and preservation, mental health support, and racial justice and equity initiatives. Donors designated the greatest number of gifts to The 61传媒Fund, the College鈥檚 prime mover that supports essential programming and affects every 61传媒student.
鈥淲hen you give at years鈥� end, you play a significant role in securing our footing as we enter the second half of the academic year,鈥� says Associate Vice President for Philanthropy Enrique Gonzalez-Salgado. 鈥淒onations to The 61传媒Fund will go straight to work sustaining the resources our students rely on and will reinforce our financial cushion as we tackle a constantly evolving COVID-19 environment.鈥�
The use of a dedicated campaign website this year made goal tracking easier than ever. Donors could give through popular pay apps, such as PayPal and Apple Pay, and had the opportunity to become 鈥渁dvocates.鈥�
When you publicly share why you give and encourage others to join in, you help others discover the importance of our shared mission
Some participants鈥攊ncluding current and past staff members as well as alums鈥攃reated their own mini challenges and matches, while others helped spread the word on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This social element is critical to the success of these campaigns, says Gonzalez-Salgado, adding that he hopes the 61传媒community will continue to spread the word.
鈥淎 women鈥檚 college is a rarity today, and 61传媒is exceptional in its ability to develop young leaders in an intimate liberal arts environment fortified by The Claremont Colleges鈥� consortium. When you publicly share why you give and encourage others to join in, you help others discover the importance of our shared mission,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut whether you give anonymously or as part of a challenge, every gift is powerful. We鈥檙e grateful to everyone who made The Giving Season such a success.鈥�