Something big is happening on Thursday, February 29. It’s Seattle U Gives, an opportunity to give back to the Redhawk causes you care about the most. For those who are unfamiliar, or need a reminder about this special day, here are the top five things to know about this year’s event:
Celebrating our community’s generosity and impact, Seattle U Gives is the university’s 24-hour online day of giving. Now in its eighth year, it’s a tradition organized by the Office of Annual Giving and an opportunity to support the university’s growth and initiatives for the future.
During this 24-hour window, alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty and staff come together to invest in the causes that matter most to them. Seattle U Gives raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for SU-specific goals and last year’s totals reached close to a million dollars—we are dreaming even bigger this year!
There are hundreds of different funds to support, with many highlighted on the Seattle U Gives website. Your gifts, no matter the size, can support the SU Fund, scholarships, the Redhawk Club, the Seattle University Youth Initiative, Athletics, Campus Ministry, specific schools and colleges and more.
This year we are highlighting the SU Fund, a vital resource that sustains the university’s mission where it’s needed most. Gifts to this fund create an immediate impact in the livelihood of students, providing support for enhanced services, scholarships, classroom equipment, recreation activities and more, contributing to the holistic education SU is known for.
If you don’t see the specific fund you would like to support on our website, simply select “Other” and write in the name or description of the cause you’d like to donate to. Even if your cause is not participating officially, we will read your comments and apply your donation to the fund that best matches your interests.
You can’t spell fund without “fun,” so that’s why Seattle U Gives has been gamified with a series of “challenges.” Major donors, sponsors and university groups pledge an amount money that can be unlocked if a certain threshold of gifts is met towards a specific fund. This doubles, triples or even quadruples the impact of day-of giving!
We upped the fun last year when we introduced "Mystery Challenges." Mystery challenges were surprise challenges for an unknown "mystery" area on campus that were unlocked when other parameters were met first. It kept it exciting throughout the day to see what was going to be revealed next! There will be new, exciting mystery challenges in store for Seattle U Gives 2024.
This year you can also expect to see us unveil the largest challenge in Seattle U Gives history, and our amazing alumni are going to play an especially crucial role in helping unlock it. Be sure to check the Seattle U Gives website for more information on all the challenges impacting the areas you care about most. Seattle U Gives encourages gifts of all sizes. Everyone’s gift matters, especially when they are all working toward a shared challenge goal.
Become a SU-pporter!
SU-pporters are advocates and influencers that help us amplify the event. Whether you are a student, alumni, parent, faculty member or staff, you are invited to become a SU-pporter. We equip all our SU-pporters with a toolkit of digital and physical swag—like a rocking pair of Rudy the Redhawk socks—plus resources for what and how to share. And yes, you can still sign up!
SU-pporters like, comment and post about the event on social media, sharing their love and pride for SU and championing the causes that mean the most to them. SU-pporters are encouraged to make it their own, make it fun and make it personal. It’s a wonderful opportunity to check in with former classmates and invite them to consider supporting Seattle U Gives. If you are not online, you can be an in-person SU-pporter and join us for day-of fun.
You can join the virtual party happening online or come to campus and visit the Seattle U Gives headquarters. In honor of Seattle U Gives taking place on Leap Day, we will be hosting a frog slinger competition that afternoon. Whoever slings their toy frog the farthest gets to direct $500 to the fund of their choice! Our students can also participate in a scavenger hunt throughout campus where five winners can allocate $100 each.
SUAA will be hosting a GOLD happy hour at Rhein Haus to celebrate Seattle U Gives. Rhein Haus will be generously donating 15% of proceeds to Seattle U Gives in support. We will be raffling a special VIP package to the men’s basketball game happening that night, where the Redhawks will take on UT Arlington for Senior Night at 7 p.m.
We will also share fundraising updates on our website and social media so the SU community can follow along live, wherever you are in the world.
Ready to take flight? Head to the Seattle U Gives website to check out all the giving options, including how to give an early gift.
Still have questions? Contact annualgiving@seattleu.edu.