LovEMU Giving Day 2023 was another record-setting event — with $300,915 raised from 844 gifts and 592 total donors.
That’s a gain of more than $5,000 over last year’s totals.
“Every single dollar we raised together goes toward making this special place more affordable for more people,” said Braydon Hoover ‘11, MA ‘21 (organizational leadership), associate vice president of advancement. “That means scholarships, belongingness initiatives, resources for retaining our exceptional faculty and staff, and much more. I am so proud of this community for showing up and showing out, and helping us “Pay it Forward Together.” THANK YOU for all you did to make LovEMU a major success!”
In addition to the fundraising successes of the day, LovEMU merged with SGA Day, an initiative of the Student Government Association to bring students together with faculty and staff in meaningful ways outside of the classroom. Because of this partnership, the energy on campus was palpable, as the community understood the importance and impact of such a day of generosity. Check out the social media wall at love.emu.edu to see how this energy manifested online!
Read on to learn about the LovEMU Challenges completed throughout the day and view photos:
LovEMU Early Challenge: Because we received 100 gifts before LovEMU Giving Day even began, a generous alumni couple contributed an additional $10,000. 111 out of 100 gifts needed were given!
Breakfast of Champions Challenge: Looming anxiety of student loan debt? We eat it for breakfast. Because 75 early birds made their gift between 6 and 9 a.m., $15,000 to the UFund was unlocked. 79 out of 75 gifts needed were given!
The ‘Vost with the Most Challenge: Dr. Fred Kniss ‘79 is retiring after 14 years of exemplary service as Provost of EMU. To celebrate his tenure and to wish him well in this next chapter, a generous alumni couple matched 125 gifts to The University Fund given between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., up to $10,000. 138 out of 125 gifts needed were given!
SGA Day Pays It Forward Challenge: We’re teaming up with the Student Government Association by combining LovEMU with the wildly successful SGA Day. These student leaders are always looking to make the world a better place, and that starts right here on campus. Because we received 300 gifts to ANY focus fund between 2 and 6 p.m., $20,000 was unlocked to support student initiatives like this through The University Fund. 300 of 300 gifts needed were given!
Explore Together Challenge: Of all the memorable experiences graduates of EMU carry forward, our renowned intercultural programs are among the most highly regarded and meaningful. It is vital that no student feels barred from this cherished experience for lack of funds. Because we received 100 gifts in support of student scholarships for the intercultural program between 7 and 9 p.m., we unlocked $10,000 in additional support…. allowing more students to “Explore Together.” 102 of 100 gifts needed were given!
Athletics Hustle & Heart Challenge: Because we received 100 gifts to the Athletics Annual Fund between 9 and 11:59 p.m., a generous athletics alum matched all funds raised up to $10,000. 114 of 100 gifts needed were given!
Thanks to the many who donated and shared of their time to tell us how you LovEMU!
While there are MANY people working behind the scenes to pull off LovEMU, special thanks to the LovEMU Day Team:
Amelia Morrison, annual giving coordinator; Graham Stauffer ‘19, data analytics coordinator; Marci Myers ‘84, event & volunteer coordinator; Monica Pangle ‘10, constituent engagement assistant; Laura Daily, director of advancement services; Lindsay Martin ‘05, CJP advancement director; Deanna Reed, regional advancement director; Braydon Hoover ‘11, MA ‘21 (organizational leadership), associate vice president for Advancement; and Kirk Shisler ‘81, vice president for advancement.Not pictured: Tim Swarzendruber ‘95, senior regional advancement director; Chris Randolph, regional advancement director; Jennifer North Bauman, director of alumni & parent engagement; and Emily Della Ratta, social media manager.