On March 17, the Sun Devil community will unite once again for Sun Devil Giving Day, a universitywide day of giving when Arizona State University supporters come together to champion the causes they care about the most by giving to an ASU program or initiative.
Whether they care about protecting the planet, serving the community, making education accessible for all, conducting research for the public good or creating learners for life, when supporters donate on Sun Devil Giving Day, the impact of their generosity runs deep throughout the ASU community and beyond.
Private philanthropic support is critical to the success of ASU, students and the communities in which they work. For Taylor Stringfellow, a graduate student, private scholarship support enabled her to discover her passion for social work.
Now, Stringfellow is able to give back to her community in meaningful ways. Stringfellow supports ASU students through her work as a staff member at TRIO Student Support Services, where she works with first-generation and low-income students. Stringfellow also helps the community beyond ASU by working with clients who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or other forms of trauma.
Stringfellow, a recipient of the Armstrong Family Foundation Scholarship, was able to achieve all of this thanks to the impact of the private donors who supported her. The Armstrong Family Foundation Scholarship provides financial resources to deserving students with family circumstances beyond their control that limit financial resources and prevent access to educational opportunities.
“Some people really need that one person to believe, love and support them in order for them to continue. The Armstrong family was that for me,” Stringfellow says.
The impact of generosity
Over the past 10 years, 78,000 students received more than $283 million in scholarship funding provided through philanthropy, says Bill Kavan, vice president of engagement and outreach at the ASU Foundation for A New American University. “Many of these students would not have been able to finish their degree without this support,” Kavan said.
ASU donors can also support faculty through gifts that support academic units, centers, institutes or specific research projects. “There are literally no limits to the areas our faculty touch, from cancer research to sustainability, space exploration to creative writing, clean water to dance and almost anything imaginable,” Kavan says.
“The ability to support faculty to advance an area a donor is passionate about exists not only on Sun Devil Giving Day, but every day.”
There are literally no limits to the areas our faculty touch, from cancer research to sustainability, space exploration to creative writing, clean water to dance and almost anything imaginable.
— Bill Kavan, vice president of engagement and outreach at the ASU Foundation for A New American University
On Sun Devil Giving Day, many ASU donors offer matching gifts to support their areas of interest. For example, this year, longtime ASU supporters Craig Barrett, former CEO and chairman of Intel, and Barbara Barrett, former U.S. secretary of the Air Force, have committed to matching, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, gifts made to the Mark Jacobs Scholarship Endowment.
Jacobs has served as dean of Barrett, The Honors College for almost 20 years and is retiring this year. The Mark Jacobs Scholarship Endowment supports undergraduate students in attaining an honors education at Barrett. Barrett, The Honors College was named in 2001 by the Arizona Board of Regents, as recommended by then-university president Lattie Coor, as a tribute to the Barretts and their work on behalf of ASU students and the university.
Additionally, the Next Generation Council, a group of ASU alumni who have received degrees since 2002 and are working together to uphold the principles of the ASU Charter, will match gifts made by any ASU graduate of the last 20 years on Sun Devil Giving Day. Up to $50 per gift will be matched, until the pool of $10,000, funded by member contributions, is exhausted.
Another way to participate in Sun Devil Giving Day is to visit any Sun Devil Dining or campus retail location during the week of March 14. Customers will be invited to add a gift of $1 or more to any purchase to benefit the ASU Student Crisis Fund. Aramark will match all gifts made at point of sale from March 14 through 17.
Sun Devil Giving Day is also a day when each college or unit showcases impactful programs and community-based projects. For example:
The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions is raising money to support the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program, a semester-long program where students work together with incarcerated men and women to learn about crime and justice.
The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation is raising money to support the Edson College Investment Fund. In order to make an impact on communities that are in need, Edson College has expanded to Lake Havasu City, filling critical vacancies with BSN graduates.
The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering will match $5,000 to each of the following funds: Fulton Difference, Fulton Student Emergency Fund, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Scholarship and the Fulton Schools of Engineering International Student Support Fund, which was created to support international students who face unique financial challenges due to their residency status.
Last year on Sun Devil Giving Day, the ASU community donated more than 3,700 gifts to raise more than $1 million. This year, the goal is to inspire 4,000 gifts from around the ASU community, says Carey Fredlake, director of strategic outreach at the ASU Foundation for A New American University.
Each gift, regardless of size, makes a difference. The collective power of giving is what makes the work done by ASU possible and allows ASU to be a driving force for positive societal impact.
Get involved
There are many ways to participate on Sun Devil Giving Day:
Give to your passion by making an online gift to any area of ASU at asufoundation.org.
Join the discussion and spread the word on social media with the hashtag #SunDevilGiving.
Written by Roxanne Banuelos, student editor, ASU Enterprise Partners
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