Broncos Help Broncos During the 10th Annual Day of Giving

Santa Clara breaks a new record amount of donations during 2023 event

On April 12, Santa Clara hosted its 10th annual Day of Giving, a fundraising event where campus clubs, organizations and scholarship programs raise money through donation challenges and alumni contributions. 

Participating organizations received support from all over the world and surpassed the 2022 donation record after receiving more than 6,700 gifts equating to over $5.5 million. 

“The Day of Giving is a very popular fundraising event on campuses across the country–as you can see from its 10th anniversary at Santa Clara it is a well-established event,” said Sergio Lopez, Santa Clara’s Director of Annual Giving Strategies. “This year we have injected new elements of service and fun and relaunched it as a cherished tradition.”

Starting at 8 AM, organizations on campus began hosting events to encourage community participation and donations. Most donations typically come in during the 24-hour period beginning at 12:01 AM on the designated Day of Giving, but donations are also accepted before the start time. 

“Early participation indicates that we could set a brand new record this year which is very exciting,” Lopez said before the end of the 24-hour donation period. “We are looking forward to energizing our entire Bronco community through this wonderful tradition.”

The promotion of the event leading up to the official Day of Giving brought in millions of dollars in donations with many organizations completing their challenges before the 24-hour period, including the HUB writing center on campus. The center reached its goal of 15 donors before the Day of Giving officially began. 

“It is really exciting to see support coming in,” said Lady Elizabeth Roy, who works at the HUB. “As a writing partner it is so amazing to see people donating and helping us better support Santa Clara writers.” 

This year’s event followed the theme of “Broncos helping Broncos” and encouraged support for programs across all areas of campus. Using the hashtag #AllInForSCU, campus ambassadors filmed short videos to highlight their organization and thank donors. The facilitators also worked with the American Red Cross blood drive and the Santa Clara Red Cross student club to put on a blood drive on Wednesday. 

“We wanted to set our Day of Giving apart by leaning on our Jesuit values and demonstrating that Day of Giving is more than just about raising money,” Lopez said. “It is about coming together as a community to help one another.”

Since the first Day of Giving, Santa Clara has raised over $21 million. In an all-campus email on Thursday, the Day of Giving facilitators shared a thank-you message with all community members who donated in support of campus programs and organizations.

“The best news is that it all goes toward enhancing the student experience at Santa Clara,” read the email. “Thanks to you, we’re able to offer a distinctive Jesuit education, rich in experiential learning, that forms the ethical and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.”