Give SJU Day accumulates record-high donation totals
This year's Give SJU Day, held on Nov. 16, collected $768,863 to better the previous record of $729,281 set in 2020. Over 1,400 donors contributed to the cause, surpassing Institutional Advancement's donor goal.
Give SJU Day, an annual fundraiser directed by Ted Kain, a 2012 graduate of St. John’s, demonstrated once again the lifelong influence the school has for many.
Held on Nov. 16, this year’s Give Day succeeded in raising $768,863, enough to surpass the previous record of $729,281 set in 2020. The event also surpassed its goal of 1,400 donors, receiving donations from 1,443 alumni, parents, friends, faculty and staff donors. St. Ben’s held their Give Day on Oct. 18. Give CSB Day focused on a donor goal rather than a dollar goal this year. While there were more donors this year than the previous year, they did not raise as much money; Give CSB Day received $486,152 from 829 donors. Maggie Weber Utsch, director of annual giving at CSB, noted the implications of raising less money this year.
“The challenge we face now because we took some focus off the dollar goal and emphasized our donor goal, we have a lot of fundraising to make up for to reach our fiscal year goal for scholarships,” she said.
This year’s donations at St. John’s continue along a successful trend. Despite the many challenges the institution has faced since the onset of COVID, Give SJU Day donations have continued growing. Give SJU Day has raised over $700,000 each year for the past three years, and the donor goal has also increased from 1,300 to 1,400 over the past two years.
The success of the fundraiser can be attributed to the cause; donations go directly towards St. John’s Student Fund scholarships. Donors recognize the value of their experiences here and have assurance that they are making a direct impact on the students that come after them. Behind the scenes, coordinators dedicate many hours to ensure that Give SJU Day meets its donor goals and continues to serve as a valuable resource to students. Class volunteers work with their graduating class to encourage donations.
They conduct personal outreach, create matching gift challenges for their class, promote and share Give SJU Day on social media and create personal videos about the impact St. John’s has had on their lives to appeal to donors. The funds also received a boost from challenge donors. Brian and Carol Bruess issued the Presidential Donor Challenge, promising to contribute $10,000 if the day’s goal was met. Two anonymous alumni also contributed significantly on Give SJU Day.
Kain is proud and happy to see another successful Give SJU Day.
“Overall, I think our donor base understands how critical supporting St. John’s Student Fund scholarships is,” Kain said. “Every gift goes to scholarship support for St. John’s students, and our donors care about supporting outstanding current students and helping us offer competitive scholarship packages to prospective families.”