Record number of donors support ASU on Sun Devil Giving Day

Generosity to ASU will fuel scholarships, innovation, emerging programs and student success

Sun Devil Giving Day is an annual celebration of generosity to ASU.

Christopher Marohn, program manager for professional education in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (left), and Ray English, assistant dean in the college's Office of Career and Employment Services, take part in Sun Devil Giving Day, an annual celebration of generosity to ASU students, faculty, staff and programs.

March 28, 2019

More than 9,300 individuals gave a record-breaking total of $11.4 million on Sun Devil Giving Day to support the causes they care about at Arizona State University.

Sun Devil Giving Day — celebrated annually on all ASU campuses — lasted for 24 hours on March 21, giving alumni, parents, fans, students, faculty and staff the opportunity to give to causes and ASU programs.

“Sun Devil Giving Day gives me the opportunity to support the programs I’ve been a part of,” said Amanda Alibrandi, who studies public administration and nonprofit leadership and management at ASU and is the Micheal Boulden Memorial intern for ASU Enterprise Partners. “It’s important to develop and sustain those programs so more students have access and can benefit from them.”

Supporters had the option to give to a specific ASU college or unit, or to one of the many causes advanced at ASU. Students at each campus had the opportunity to vote on projects they consider important, including clean-water programs, first-generation scholarships, cancer research, environmental sustainability and arts and culture.

In addition to generating support, Sun Devil Giving Day encourages the ASU community to cultivate a culture of philanthropy and an understanding of its impact on the university. Andrew Carey, executive director of donor outreach for the ASU Foundation, said private support gives ASU the margin of excellence it needs to innovate and elevate the university experience for all students, faculty and staff.

Highlights

• Donors surpassed last year’s gift total of 4,325 by 10:50 a.m.

• The number of gifts increased by 115 percent.

• Alumni led the way, with more than 955 donations.

• Donations through Aramark point-of-sale locales increased by 409 percent. These gifts support the Sun Devil Family Association’s Student Crisis Fund and help students facing financial and personal crises.

This year’s total also includes an anonymous gift of $10 million to the W. P. Carey School of Business. When joined with gifts of all sizes from 9,319 donors, Sun Devil Giving Day raised $11,462,634 on behalf of ASU students, faculty, staff and programs.

Story by Shannon Ganzer, ASU Enterprise Partners