Mason’s third annual Giving Day, Thursday, April 4, 2019, was a huge hit. Giving Day is the day that all Mason supporters—alumni, friends, volunteers, faculty, staff, and students—come together to make a difference for their university.
Motivated by the theme, “Together, We Are Mason,” more than 2,550 donors contributed a total of more than $454,000 towards dozens of different Giving Day causes.* Many donors offered matching gift challenges that led to impressive results, including:
- The School of Business raised nearly $50,000 from 126 donors.
- Athletics raised more than $43,500, with Friends of Wrestling raising $12,262 from 110 donors, and Friends of Baseball raising $6,400 from 35 donors.
- The University Libraries raised nearly $23,000 from 50 donors to support student assistants and other causes.
- University Life raised $5,416 from 40 donors for student counseling and psychological services.
- The College of Health and Human Services raised more than $30,000 from 105 donors.
- The College of Humanities and Social Sciences raised $30,500 from 133 donors.
- The Friends of Music Scholarship Challenge raised $4,051 from 25 donors.
- The Green Machine ensembles raised $15,574 from 108 donors.
While most giving and lots of social media activity took place online, there was plenty happening on campus as well. All day long students stopped by the Giving Day tent on the Quad Lawn, signing thank-you postcards to alumni donors, greeting the Patriot, and posing at the photo booth.
Nearly 300 faculty and staff attended morning and afternoon receptions on campus at the Mason Club. An after-work happy hour at Spider Kelly’s in Arlington, with guest emcee Doc Nix, attracted another one hundred attendees, including local alumni.
Most importantly, we met the true goal of Giving Day: to encourage every member of Mason Nation to show their pride and support each other.
Thank you for supporting us. Together, we are Mason.
* Visit givingday.gmu.edu at any time to check out the latest totals online.
April 11, 2019 [updated 5/15/19] / Rob Riordan