San Diego State Alumni and University Relations and Development will host their second annual 24-hour online fundraiser, called The Great Give, on Oct. 25.
The event’s goal is to bring alumni, parents and the entire SDSU community together to donate to the university, said Dan Majors, SDSU Alumni assistant director and project manager for The Great Give.
“It brings everybody together through email, marketing, communication, campus events,” Majors said. “Different programs such as Aztec Parents and Guardian Scholars are involved in helping for The Great Give.”
The fundraiser is already engaging a large amount of alumni, despite only being in its second year, he said.
“Last year we raised over $135,000,” Majors said. “This year we plan to beat that.”
The money that is raised goes directly to certain programs, he said.
“There are 35 different allocations, which includes athletics, scholarships (and) student organizations,” Majors said. “Some of these student organization groups won’t raise as much.”
Jamie Miller, an Aztec Proud assistant and former A.S. president, said The Great Give is a great online fundraising event and any amount of donation is beneficial to the fundraiser.
“Any supplemental funding that we can receive as an institution is empowering because all the money is going to students, faculty and organizations around campus,” Miller said.
Majors said about 900 donors participated in last year’s fundraiser.
“Donors include SDSU alumni, friends, students, faculty, staff and organizations that are from campus,” he said.
SDSU Director of Development Technology Tammy Blackburn said the idea for The Great Give was to start an online fundraiser for a broader-based audience.
“Our alumni are getting younger,” she said. “When you’re 20, 21 and 22 years old, you’re looking to have things to be simple, and we wanted to bring a simplicity of giving for one day.”
Aztec Proud will host a Great Give event in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 24, where students will enjoy free food, beverages and music. Participants received a free gift with a $10 donation to student scholarships.
