One Day for State challenge issued

SDSU Foundation plans giving challenge for Wednesday

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BROOKINGS – The Spirit for South Dakota State University spread like wildfire after last year’s successful first-ever giving day, so the SDSU Foundation is hosting its second One Day for State event this Wednesday. The 24-hour campaign invites all Jackrabbits to join  in celebration of SDSU and the transformative impact of philanthropic giving. 

A year ago, 1,196 donors raised $298,558 in donations during One Day for State, including 385 first-time donors and 106 student donors. Funds raised benefited scholarships, student travel, faculty support, and a variety of academic and co-curricular programs. Now, the foundation is making preparations to ensure the second iteration of One Day for State meets a new goal: 1,300 donors in 24 hours.

Part of what makes One Day for State special is the opportunity for every gift – large or small – to go further, thanks to numerous challenge match donors. All gifts help unlock additional funds for academic colleges, scholarships and programs. This year, more than $200,000 in matching funds is waiting to be unlocked. 

“Every gift matters,” said Erin Glidden, SDSU Foundation director of loyalty giving. “We’re so thankful for the generosity of our challenge match donors for maximizing the impact of every gift on One Day for State.” 

All donors can use the online giving portal during the event to designate where they’d like to direct their gift, so they can support an area that matters to them.

One Day for State aims to rally Jackrabbit alumni, donors, friends and current students in support of SDSU. “We want to give students a connection to the Foundation and introduce them to the idea of philanthropy,” said Heidi Hopewell, assistant director of loyalty giving. “Every day, donors make investments that directly impact students, from scholarships to research funding to building projects. We want to celebrate that impact.”

The inaugural One Day for State was met with widespread enthusiasm. 

This year, a new event held at the Alumni Green will be a place to celebrate with fans and friends of the university – and all in the community are welcome. Bring your Jackrabbit family to the Yellow and Blue Block Party Wednesday, taking place 5-8 p.m. A performance by The Pride of the Dakotas will be held while food trucks, SDSU student-athlete signatures, free SDSU ice cream, Bummobile and numerous kid activities will make it a night to remember. More information can be found on Facebook at “SDSU Yellow and Blue Block Party.”

The one-day fundraising challenge relies heavily on digital communication and social media platforms to reach online audiences. Any Jackrabbit supporter can help spread the word on One Day for State as a social ambassador using their social media networks to generate buzz for the event. The more traffic and gifts an ambassador’s post generates, the higher he/she climbs on the leaderboard to compete for fun prizes. To join the ambassador team, please visit www.onedayforstate.sdstatefoundation.org/ambassador.

Find more information about One Day for State by following the SDSU Foundation on Facebook and Twitter or by visiting onedayforstate.sdstatefoundation.org.