UNC Wilmington students gave “More in 24” in larger numbers in 2019

Only about 60 percent of the cost of UNC Wilmington’s education is covered by tuition and state funding, says Bryan Fegley, assistant director of Annual Giving. The university relies on gifts from alumni, students, parents, employees, and other donors to close the gap.

Fundraising is one of the many missions of UNCW’s Division of University Advancement, specifically their Annual Giving sector.

Every year, more than 10,000 donors make a gift to UNCW, and every year, UNCW hosts its 24-hour giving day, “Give More in 24 Challenge.”

The challenge started in 2014 and has become a tradition that many donors look forward to. It occurs once a year but does not necessarily always occur on one particular day or month of the year.

“The challenge spotlights philanthropy and rallies Seahawks to come together to make a difference,” said Lauren King, director of Annual Giving.

Now in its sixth year, UNCW’s 2019 Give More in 24 Challenge has seen its most successful year to date.

The university’s goal was to reach 1,440 donors, a donor for every minute during the 24-hour period.

By the end of the day, more than 1,800 donors participated.

One of the largest growths in donor numbers this year came from current students; 431 students donated in 2019, compared to 202 in 2018.

A new student organization competition, in which student organizations competed to see which group could inspire the most donors to give to their organization, enticed more students to participate this year. Student Veterans Organization, Ritmo Latino, and Student Ambassadors were the top three of many organizations, each earning a portion of the challenge funds.

This year’s challenge also engaged more students on campus. On April 9, the day of the challenge, student volunteers encouraged fellow Seahawks to get involved by making a gift and writing a thank you note to donors. Students also celebrated their Seahawk spirit at the event by taking photos at the UNCW photo booth.

King said that the next step is to showcase how gifts make a difference for students. In addition to funding student organizations, donors also provide support for academic departments, scholarships, and other areas of need for the university.

“At the end of the day, we have our donors to thank for coming together to help us reach the goal,” King said. “I’m especially proud that so many students got involved this year. Their participation translates to resources that will benefit areas all across campus.”

For more information on UNCW’s donations and how they impact the university, visit https://giving.uncw.edu/.