CSUN’s first-ever Giving Day begins Wednesday, March 1 at 5 a.m. PST, when supporters around the world are asked to celebrate and contribute to the university programs most important to them through a special CSUN Giving Day website that will run through 5 p.m. PST on March 2.

“Giving Day is an opportunity to significantly impact the lives of students by investing in their education,” said Erika D. Beck, CSUN President. “Giving Day support will provide scholarships, enable state-of-the-art classroom and laboratory equipment and upgrades, and bring enhanced resources to our athletics, arts and extracurricular programs.  With each contribution, our donors will help write student success stories, starting right here at CSUN.”

Students, alumni, faculty, staff and other supporters of the university-wide fundraiser can get involved now by visiting the CSUN Giving Day website and signing up to be a Giving Day Ambassador for a particular College, program, or project on campus. Giving Day Ambassadors will receive a toolkit of information, including social media posts to share with their friends and colleagues.

Meaningful generosity

“Giving Day is all about meaningful generosity and celebrating what is special at CSUN,” said Robert Taylor ‘82, chair of the CSUN Foundation Board. “We want people to give to the area of campus where they have the strongest connections. One person might give to Matador Athletics, while another makes a gift to a scholarship fund for aspiring musicians. Someone else might give to The Soraya, while another chooses to support the University Library. Opportunities to make an impact are possible across CSUN, so whatever resonates most with you is where you should give on Giving Day.”

Prospective donors can visit givingday.csun.edu now to view all possible areas to support. Those who want to get a head start can begin making gifts on the Giving Day website starting Feb. 20, and their donations will count toward the final Giving Day tally.

While Giving Day is new to CSUN, it is a popular fundraiser at colleges and universities across the U.S., including several University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) campuses. “It is really a day to celebrate and support the things you love most about your university,” Taylor added.

Matching opportunities and challenges

On March 1-2, the CSUN Giving Day website will feature specific matching opportunities and challenges allowing donors to increase the impact of their gifts. For example, challenges might unlock extra funding for a specific College once a certain number of donors contribute, while matching opportunities might double the impact of gifts to selected programs. Updates will be provided on the site, on CSUN’s social media channels, and via emails to alumni, students, faculty, staff and supporters of the university.

CSUN donors Bill Griffeth ’80, Hon.D. ’17 and Cindy Griffeth ’78 have established one of the first Giving Day challenges by pledging $5,000 to University Scholarships when 50 donors give to any fund on the Giving Day website.

“We thank the Griffeths for helping make CSUN’s first Giving Day a huge success,” Beck said. “Their generosity, combined with contributions from the entire CSUN family, ensures we can provide life-changing opportunities for our students as they realize their highest aspirations and lead us all towards a brighter, more equitable future.”

For more about CSUN Giving Day, visit givingday.csun.edu.

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