UMass Amherst Launches UMassGives, Its First Online Fundraising Drive as part of Sesquicentennial Celebration

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst is celebrating its 150^th birthday and is asking supporters to be part of the festivities by making a gift to the university during its first-ever fundraising campaign driven by social media.

 

The 36-hour UMassGives campaign will be launched at noon on Founders Day, Monday, April 29. “The goal is to increase the number of donors among alumni and other supporters, who will be invited to contribute to areas most meaningful to them,” says Sarah Sligo, executive director of annual giving. Her office has enlisted a core group of more than 125 alumni, friends, faculty and staff who are already active on social media to serve as online ambassadors, hoping they will inspire an increase in first-time donors.

 

The UMassGives campaign will include periodic updates from ambassadors in real time on total dollars raised, videos featuring Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and participant comments. The online ambassadors program will continue after UMassGives has concluded, engaging in online conversations and sharing the achievements occurring across campus.

 

There will be five fundraising challenges throughout the event and the campus areas with the most donors and highest average gifts can receive $2,000 in extra funding during each challenge through a fund provided by the UMass Amherst Foundation Board. Special UMassGives T-shirts will be given out to the first 1,000 donors from the campus community at the Founders Day cookout held on campus Monday.