Breaks 2020 all-time record
Mary Bane Lackie (left), Haley Fowler, Emma Schultz, Colby Wilson, Courtney Clawson and Houston Davis
The University of Central Arkansas raised $1.295 million in its ninth annual Day of Giving, outpacing the previous record set in 2020.
“This year’s record UCA Day of Giving showed that our alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the university believe in our students and want to take our support for them and our programs to the next level,” said UCA President Houston Davis.
The university announced Day of Giving totals at a special celebration held Friday. The first time UCA broke the $1 million mark for its Day of Giving was March 2020 with a total of $1.12 million.
“UCA continues to set a national pace with Day of Giving totals rivaling or exceeding much larger universities. This year marks the second time that we have broken the $1 million threshold and continues our momentum toward fulfilling our $100 million campaign, UCA Now: Impact Arkansas and Beyond,” Davis said.
More than 2,000 gifts were contributed by 1,894 donors from 32 states and 80 countries. The average gift size was $629, a nod to the institution’s stewardship approach that every gift matters.
“Participation is the key to sustained fundraising success,” said Mary Bane Lackie, vice president for University Advancement and UCA Foundation president. “Our donors help to propel Day of Giving to the next level with scholarship opportunities, innovative teaching methods, groundbreaking research opportunities and critical growth on and off campus.”
More than 90 campus and community partners served as Day of Giving ambassadors, promoting the event through social platforms, phone calls and special events and giveaways on campus.
“It is incredibly inspiring to see our campus community join together in a spirited effort to make Day of Giving successful,” said Haley Fowler, senior director of Annual Giving. “Several of our ambassadors have worked with us for multiple years. Their work has helped us reach this milestone.”
Fowler has led Day of Giving efforts since its inception in 2015. Since then, UCA’s combined annual Day of Giving efforts have raised nearly $5.2 million for students, scholarships and programs.
UCA alumni represented the largest population of donors at 39% and current students at 32%. Faculty and staff, friends of the university and parents accounted for the remaining number of donors.
“As an alumna and now employee, it is especially exciting to be a part of UCA’s annual fundraising effort,” said Angela Jackson, associate dean in the Division of Student Affairs. “I work with student leaders and other alumni to support the university and its programs.”
Funds raised during Day of Giving support a wide range of needs including scholarships, state-of-the-art equipment, research and experiential learning opportunities that equip students to be leaders in the regional and global economies.
Day of Giving 2023 fueled momentum for UCA Now: Impact Arkansas and Beyond, the institution’s $100 million comprehensive capital campaign, which now sits at nearly $94 million.
“The current campaign total is the result of the continued engagement of our entire community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and friends,” Davis said. “They are dedicated to UCA and to supporting the positive impact our graduates make in communities across our state and region.”
To see more details about the results and the breakdown of individual funds, visit the Day of Giving website.
