A Duke student writes a thank you note to an Annual Fund donor at the Big Event March 17.
Nearly 250 students gathered March 17 at the Big Event, snacking on colorful cotton candy and flavored popcorn as they discovered how gifts to the Duke Annual Fund help support areas across campus.
In its fifth year, the carnival-like event sponsored by the Annual Fund featured interactive activities and a contest in which students could win a set of Duke cornhole boards if they tweeted about the facts they had learned.
“Thanks #BigEvent. It's always great to know how my education is funded through fellow Dukies,” tweeted senior Leasly Salazar.
To help students visualize the power of their gift and the ability to choose how their philanthropic dollars could be spent, students received “development dollars” to designate to one or more of the 16 schools and units supported through the Annual Fund. Trinity, Pratt and the Libraries were the top choices for gifts, and in the next few weeks, students will be informed about the impact their pseudo-dollars could make on campus and in the lives of students.
“I’ve learned that so much of what happens at Duke wouldn’t be possible without alumni and students giving back. The Big Event is a fun way to help students get informed and excited about joining alums to make the Duke experience possible for others,” said junior Manny Osuji, member of the Student Development Advisory Council, which helped Annual Fund plan this year’s event.
Students also handwrote more than 173 thank you cards that will be mailed to first-time donors, many of whom are alumni.
Additionally, seniors had the chance to make an inaugural gift of $20.15 or more to the Senior Gift campaign, a vital part of the Annual Fund. To date, nearly 22 percent of the senior class has participated toward the goal of 50 percent participation by June 30.
“The Big Event helps students understand the impact of flexible, unrestricted support that makes the Duke experience possible,” said Emily Starrette, an Annual Fund program coordinator who graduated in 2012. “The Annual Fund supports all of Duke’s core priorities including financial aid and faculty and student research, while also funding extraordinary opportunities such as the new Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate. All these things are made possible by the generosity of alumni who are thankful for their Duke experience as students.”
The Duke Annual Fund was established in 1947 to support the university’s core priorities. Last year, 58,000 Annual Fund donors gave $35 million to assist the current community of students and faculty.
Every gift, including senior gift, also counts toward Duke Forward, the university’s seven-year $3.25 billion fund-raising campaign.
Check out the social media buzz on Storify and more event photos on Duke Annual Fund’s Facebook page.