Something big is happening on March 2. 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 5 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 seventh 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 our Seattle U Gives website. Your gifts, no matter the size, can support the university’s general fund, scholarships, the Redhawk Club, the Seattle University Youth Initiative, Athletics, Campus Ministry, specific schools and colleges and more.
Last year’s big push was for mental health and wellness funds, including the Office of Multicultural Affairs’ general and emergency funds. Seattle U Gives donations allowed us to provide additional resources at SU's food pantry and assist students with additional non-tuition related expenses such as emergency medical care.
If you don’t see the 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.” Our major donors have pledged large pools of money that double, triple or quadruple the impact of our day-of donations, after they collectively meet certain thresholds or challenges.
There are many challenges and each one has specific criteria to be met. Donation matching is one part of it, but there’s also donor and affiliation challenges. For example, a pool of $20,000 can be unlocked if 200 or more alumni pledge individual donations. 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 evangelists, 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 our 2023 theme, “Redhawks Take Flight,” we will be hosting a paper airplane competition that afternoon. Whoever throws their airplane the farthest gets to direct $500 to the fund of their choice! We will also share fundraising updates on our website 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.