by Anne Cantrell, MSU News Service
An annual 29-hour fundraising event to build support and awareness for a wide range of Montana State University programs, causes and groups will run from noon Wednesday, Feb. 15, through 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16.
The fourth annual MSU Giving Day aims to raise funds for more than 80 projects at the university. MSU Giving Day organizers are hoping at least 2,000 donors will participate. The theme of this year’s event is “Reimagine.”
“MSU Giving Day provides a platform to engage the collective generosity of our supporters who are interested in investing in the future of MSU,” said Samantha Patton, associate director of the annual fund at the MSU Alumni Foundation. “Gifts of all sizes will add up to have a meaningful impact on students, faculty and the Bobcat community.”
Patton said numerous student groups and academic units are seeking support for scholarships, research, events, competition, travel, equipment and more. Among them are:
- African Students Association Cultural Night is raising funds to present an Afro Cultural Night, an event celebrating Indigenous, traditional and contemporary Afro and African music, dance, literature, fashion and food.
- Bounty of the Bridgers Campus Food Pantry is raising funds to meet a growing need for food support and to offer fresh produce in pantries across campus.
- Bring Science Olympiad to Rural Schools is raising funds to launch an Elementary Science Olympiad program in Montana.
- Collegiate Woolgrowers Club is raising funds to help its members compete at national collegiate wool judging contests this spring and attend the annual Montana Wool Growers Association Convention.
- Earth Sciences Field Experiences is raising funds to support field experiences for students in the program.
- Honors College Honor Bound is raising funds to advance its recruitment and retention initiatives and programs.
- Human Development Clinic is raising funds to provide stipend support for counseling interns who provide low-cost, sliding scale fee based mental health counseling services in the Gallatin Valley.
- Jabs First-year Experiences is raising funds to provide engagement opportunities for first-year students in the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Optics and Photonics Society is raising funds to host an International Day of Light event, a global event that celebrates light in all its forms, including its influence on science, art and education.
- Piano Club Leigh Lounge Rebuild is raising funds to renovate the Steinway grand piano in Leigh Lounge.
- Veteran Family Emergency Fund is raising funds to help ease the financial burden veteran and military families face when transitioning from the military to MSU.
People are invited to participate by making a gift during the event at givingday.montana.edu. On the site, donors can view a list of groups and projects seeking funds and choose a specific group or groups to receive their gift. The website will also provide up-to-the-minute progress, descriptions of all the projects in need of support, social media tracking, acknowledgment of donors and announcements of challenges and gift matches. Special challenges and gift matching opportunities announced throughout the 29-hour event will allow donors to magnify the impact of their gifts. The minimum gift amount is $10.
Patton said the crowdfunding event is a unique opportunity for the MSU Alumni Foundation to offer fundraising support to students, departments and initiatives on campus that may not ordinarily receive it.
“This is our largest Giving Day yet,” she said. “It’s exciting to see how many students and groups are daring to reimagine their futures.”
To learn more about MSU Giving Day, go to the MSU Alumni Foundation website at msuaf.org/givingday. •
