Bradley took part in the international Giving Tuesday event for the first time on campus Dec. 1, raising $576,460 from 1,692 donors.
Giving Tuesday, which started in 2012, is a global celebration of gratitude. It takes place on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it is intended to bring awareness to various philanthropies and not-for-profits.
“Lydia Moss Bradley, one of her big traditions was giving,” university spokesperson and Executive Director of Public Relations Renee Charles said. “We wanted to get students thinking about how giving to Bradley — even if it’s $1, $5, whatever — is that tradition of Bradley. That way, when you leave, you’re thinking, ‘I already made a difference at Bradley. I’m going to keep making a difference after I leave.’”
According to Charles, Bradley is considered a not-for-profit, as it is a private university.
“A good portion of our budget comes from donors, and it makes for more scholarships and more opportunities,” Charles said. “We have the Scholarship Luncheon, and it goes towards sustaining a lot of those. When people called in or made their donation online, they could designate it to a certain area they wanted to. There’s a general fund, and most of it went into that and is dispersed and distributed as necessary, through scholarships and programs for the Bradley experience.”
As part of Giving Tuesday festivities, university administrators and faculty members participated in incentive challenges to encourage students to donate.
Vice President for Student Affairs Nathan Thomas taught his class and attended campus meetings while wearing Batman pajamas, Interim President Stan Liberty created a video of his dance moves and Director of the Lewis J. Burger Center Jessica Chandler was pushed into the Markin pool.
“The Lewis J. Burger Center is a recipient of donations for a lot of the programs we do, so it’s a fun way to spread the word, and it’s the least I can do when so many folks have helped the center out,” Chandler said. “Plus, it’s pretty cool to say my university president and vice president were willing to get a little silly and dance or wear their pajamas to work. Not many other schools can say that.”
However, many students said they did not like the concept behind Giving Tuesday at Bradley.
“I thought it was really ironic that we got an email from Bradley about Giving Tuesday asking us to give them a donation when, if Giving Tuedsay is about giving, why would you ask someone to donate to you?” Liz Gum, senior psychology major, said. “I think they’re really desperate, at this point, in just reaching in the dark. It’s a little bit embarrassing on their part.”
While some students felt negatively about the way Giving Tuesday was presented and advertised at Bradley, others said they felt the attitude would have been different if students knew more about the story behind Giving Tuesday.
“I think, in the future, students need to be educated on why donations, even from students, are important to the campus,” Katelyn Schalk, a senior psychology major and Bradley Fund intern, said. “This is the very first year, and I think a lot of students were very negative about it.”
Chandler said she was optimistic about the experience Giving Tuesday gave Bradley.
“I think it helped bridge the gap between administration and students, in a fun way,” Chandler said.
According to Charles, the program at Bradley has only just begun, but Giving Tuesday will likely find its way to the Hilltop in the future.
