Celebrate a Day of Giving -- Dan Giedeman, an SIU Carbondale alumnus, spearheaded the plan for the Balancing Education, Experience & Reality Scholarship. During the 2019 SIU Day of Giving, nearly 1,100 people donated more than $50,000 to create two endowed scholarships. This years Day of Giving is Wednesday, March 4. Last years event raised $911,837 through nearly 3,000 gifts.

February 17, 2020

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. Southern Illinois University Carbondale has spent its 150th anniversary year celebrating its past and looking toward its future. The focus on the future continues with the 2020 Day of Giving on March 4, when university alumni and friends can support a range of programs and initiatives that will move the university forward.

For 150 years, SIU has dedicated itself to higher education excellence and service to the region, state and beyond, said Chancellor John M. Dunn. Since the beginning, the success of the university and its students has been enhanced with the support of alumni and donors, many of whom who found their own success at SIU.

One Vision. 24 Hours

The Day of Giving is the first Wednesday of March to commemorate the universitys Founders Day. The theme for the fourth annual event is One Vision. 24 Hours, said Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations Rae Goldsmith.

The theme speaks to bringing everyone together for a day in support of a shared vision for the universitys future, said Rae Goldsmith, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations. Throughout the day, friends of SIU are invited to make online donations at siuday.siu.edu to areas of the university that they hold most dear.

A year ago, nearly $912,000 was raised for scholarships, programs and other SIU priorities from nearly 3,000 gifts from 46 states and 10 countries. In three years, more than $1.7 million has been raised.

Media advisory

Reporters, photographers and news crews are invited to attend the fourth annual Day of Giving celebration set for 2 p.m. on March 4 in the first floor rotunda at Morris Library. Chancellor John M. Dunn will be speaking.

Private support for SIU is essential

The 24-hour campaign is a university-wide effort to inspire alumni, students, parents, friends and the larger university community to make a gift to any area of the campus.

Philanthropy has never been more important than it is now, Goldsmith said. This private support helps funds scholarships for students who otherwise might not have access to higher education. Support from philanthropic sources also funds program enhancements and hands-on learning experiences for students.

We hear from many donors that they give because their experience at SIU changed their lives and they want to pay it forward, she continued. Others tell us that they know that SIUs success and the success of the region are closely linked, and they want to invest in the universitys future.

Donors can choose to support more than 150 initiatives and projects, including the Sustainability Green Fund and Saluki Alumni Plaza Project. Those who dont see a particular project of interest listed can select Other and include the name of the program or fund they wish to support in the comments section.

6 a.m. kickoff; giveaways and fun throughout day

The Day of Giving online tickertape begins at 6 a.m. March 4 and will run through 5:59 a.m. on March 5. Giving is tracked at siuday.siu.edu in real time.

Along with the online giving momentum that will build throughout the 24 hours, giving booths will be set up from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 4 at the Student Center, Morris Library and a new location, the Alumni Center, in Woody Hall. The booths will feature several giveaways including SIU@150 memorabilia and sunglasses and refreshments from Cristaudos.

In keeping with the one vision theme, virtual reality booths will be set up where visitors can put on headsets and travel across campus and other specific areas in Carbondale. Contributions at these booths will also be logged online.

Challenges, matching gifts are part of the fun

Some donors will challenge others to match their gifts, multiplying the impact of donations. And once again, four traveling trophies will be awarded to both academic and non-academic units based on the largest number of gifts and most dollars raised. Only gifts made on #SIUDAY are eligible for match and challenge opportunities.

The Carbondale in the 80s and 90s Facebook group came together last year to establish the Balancing Education, Experience and Reality scholarship. The group earned a trophy for receiving the largest number of gifts for a non-academic unit with 1,025 donations, while SIU Athletics earned the highest total for most dollars raised with $202,123. The SIU School of Medicine won the academic unit prize for both categories, with 410 gifts totaling $140,299.

Other ways to donate

In addition to online and in-person giving, the donations, which are tax deductible as allowed by law, can be made by calling 618/453-4900 or by sending checks payable to the SIU Foundation to Mail Code 6805, Carbondale, Illinois 62901. If sending a check to the foundation, indicate in the memo that the gift is for #SIUDAY and mark campus unit and the priority you wish to support.

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SIU to celebrate 150 years of success, look to future with the Day of Giving on March 4 - SIU News