Expectations were exceeded within the first 12 hours of Olivet Nazarene University’s 8th Day of Giving, which began at noon on April 17. Goals of donor participation and money given were accomplished before midnight, and as of noon on April 18, 1,650 donors had given more than $305,000 to support projects across academics, athletics and student life.
Day of Giving, Olivet’s annual 24-hour philanthropic event, encourages alumni, community friends, parents, students, faculty and staff of the University to support specific projects which directly impact the campus experience of current students.
Organized by members of the Office of Development, which oversees Olivet’s annual giving program—The Olivet Fund—special events like Day of Giving directly support the University’s mission to provide an “Education With a Christian Purpose.” Annual gifts to The Olivet Fund come from all constituencies in the Olivet family and create opportunities for students to pursue higher education with a higher purpose.
This was Olivet’s biggest Day of Giving to date based on both the number of supporters and the total amounts given. There were more than twice as many people who donated than in 2022. Their generosity surpassed the $300,000 mark for the first time in the history of this event.
“As funny as it sounds, Day of Giving isn’t necessarily about the money,” said Austin Brown, Director of the Olivet Fund. “It’s about participation and engagement. Our goal this year was to get more people involved than ever before, plus connect all of our supporters to their favorite causes in new ways. We couldn’t have done this without our project leaders and campus advocates, or Champions as we call them. 500+ fans of Olivet telling their personal networks about the Day makes a big difference; and the results show that.”
Seven of the 50 featured projects received full funding, which will allow the purchase of a set of portable risers for Orpheus and Gospel Choirs, a ventilator for the School of Nursing, and updated furnishings for multiple on-campus residence halls, among other things. Several other teams and departments received significant funding which will provide head start investments for projects like updated dressing rooms for ONU Theatre, new gear and locker rooms for ONU Athletic teams, and expanded resources for Multiethnic Student Services.
Thank you to our amazing community for supporting Olivet on Day of Giving! TOGETHER, we can, we will, and we must accomplish great things for Olivet!
