Student Experience Boosted by 1Day4DU

A DU tradition that makes a difference for students and the public good: that is 1Day4DU.

On May 18 during 1Day4DU – DU’s annual day of giving – gifts large and small poured in from across the country in support of our students.  With total giving amounts increasing every hour, DU’s alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty and staff invested in our students. They gave to projects making a difference in the student experience and the preparation for successful post-graduation paths, in addition to other priorities across campus.

Led by 100% participation by the Board of Trustees, 2,792 alumni, parents, faculty & staff, students and friends contributed $1,107,706 in support of a variety of initiatives during the one-day event. Outstanding support for the Chancellor’s Priorities project bolstered student-focused priorities: the 4D Experience, the Kennedy Mountain Campus, scholarships and the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund. Gifts of all sizes made a difference on 1Day4DU; gifts of $100 or less made up 68% of the total gifts.

“The University is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support we see on 1Day4DU,” said Chancellor Jeremy Haefner. “The generosity of the DU community and its friends will have longstanding impacts on our students, our faculty and their research, and the entire institution.”

[Click here to view the Chancellor’s thank you message]

Here are a few highlights of our donors’ support:

• Internships and student support funds like Korbel Internship Fund, Daniels Student Support funds, Law Student Opportunity Fund, E-STEM and Native Student Support Fund were a big hit with donors this year, showing deep support for public good initiatives. The Josef Korbel School’s Social Science Foundation Board raised over $40,000 to establish a challenge for donors to their internship fund.
• Athletics continued its tradition of high participation in 1Day4DU, contributing to a sense of DU’s NCAA National Championship in hockey being doubly celebrated by the DU community.
• Parents of DU students responded enthusiastically to a $60,000 challenge gift from the Ingrassia Family to support scholarship initiatives across campus.
• DU Student Foundation brought back the on-campus aspect of 1Day4DU that had been missing for the past two years, hosting an ice cream social to encourage giving by students, faculty and staff. DUSF also partnered with the DU Programming Board to co-sponsor May Days events to encourage student philanthropy.

Donors from across the country enthusiastically supported projects focused on the public good. From the Newman Center for the Performing Arts project for K-12 arts programming that raised over $8,500 – with significant support from the Newman Center Board of Trustees – to the DU SciTech Camp for Girls project that will fully cover camp costs for 5 campers who may not otherwise be able to afford attending, the DU community rallied behind projects for the public good.

“Our donors’ support of student-focused initiatives during 1Day4DU was remarkable,” said Val Otten, senior vice chancellor for advancement. “Both in expanding access to experiential learning at the Kennedy Mountain Campus and other avenues, and in supporting internships and career preparation, our donors demonstrated their commitment to our students’ holistic success.”

This 1Day4DU finished with the 2nd-highest totals in its 8-year history – a feat confirmed through an extensive accounting process following the event. The numbers and successes of 1Day4DU tell a greater story: the life-changing difference that philanthropy makes in the journeys of DU students over the years.

If you missed participating in 1Day4DU and feel inspired to support change in the world through DU, you can make a gift here: https://give.du.edu/find-your-cause