BROOKINGS – Spirit for South Dakota State University spread like wildfire after last year’s successful annual giving day, and it will happen again Thursday when the SDSU Foundation hosts its third One Day for STATE event. The 24-hour campaign invites Jackrabbits everywhere to join together in celebration of SDSU and the transformative impact of philanthropic giving.

A year ago, 2,138 donors raised $574,445 in donations during One Day for STATE, including 608 first-time donors and 268 student donors. This year, the SDSU Foundation is preparing to ensure the third iteration of One Day for STATE meets a new goal: 2,400 donors in 24 hours. Funds raised benefit scholarships, student travel, faculty support and a variety of academic and co-curricular programs.

Part of what makes One Day for STATE special is the opportunity for gifts of all amounts to go further, thanks to numerous challenge donors. All gifts help unlock additional funds for academic colleges, scholarships and programs. This year, more than $350,000 in challenge funds is waiting to be unlocked. “Every gift matters,” said Erin Glidden, the SDSU Foundation’s director of loyalty giving. “We’re so thankful for the generosity of our challenge donors for maximizing the impact of every gift on One Day for STATE.” During the day, donors can visit onedayforstate.sdstatefoundation.org to designate their gifts to areas they are passionate about supporting.

One Day for STATE aims to rally Jackrabbits alumni, donors, friends and even current students in support of SDSU. “We want to give students a connection to the SDSU 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.”

This year, an event held at the new SDSU Starbucks Café will provide an opportunity to celebrate with fans, friends and students of the university – and all in the community are welcome. The “Giving Makes Me Happy Hour” runs  from 3–5 p.m. and features $2 Grande beverages, drip coffee sampling and the chance to win a Starbucks gift basket. More information can be found on Facebook at “Giving Makes Me Happy Hour.”

The celebration continues that evening with the Yellow and Blue Block Party, which runs from 5-8 p.m. on the Alumni Green. It will feature food trucks, a performance by The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band at 6:30 p.m., SDSU student-athlete appearances, free SDSU ice cream, a Jackrabbit Central pop-up shop and numerous kid activities. 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 to reach online audiences. Any Jackrabbits supporter can help spread the word on One Day for STATE as a social ambassador. The more traffic and gifts an ambassador’s post(s) generate, the higher one climbs on the leaderboard to compete for prizes like club tickets to an SDSU football game or Woodbine Productions tickets. To join the ambassador team, visit www.onedayforstate.sdstatefoundation.org/ambassador.

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