BROOKINGS – One gift every 36 seconds for 24 hours. That’s the breakdown of what Jackrabbits in 47 states and five countries accomplished Aug. 29 during One Day for State 2018. The SDSU Foundation’s second-annual giving day celebrated all it means to be part of the Jackrabbits family and the impact that can be made through private gifts.

In 24 hours, 2,138 donors came together, raising $574,445 from 2,402 gifts to transform lives at South Dakota State University, supporting opportunities such as scholarships, academic programming and student travel. Alumni, donors, friends and students continued to join forces after surpassing the initial 1,300-donor goal by 7 p.m.

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 donors. All gifts helped unlock additional funds for academic colleges, scholarships and programs. This year, $244,000 were unlocked by meeting all 32 challenges. In fact, 83 percent of the gifts were $100 or less. “Every gift matters,” said Erin Glidden, SDSU Foundation 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.” 

One Day for State rallied Jackrabbits alumni, donors, friends and current students. Two hundred and sixty-eight students donated $1,872. 

“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.

The transformational day continued that evening at the Yellow and Blue Block Party on the Alumni Green. In the shadow of the Coughlin Campanile, thousands of Jackrabbits friends came together to celebrate One Day for State. The block party was complete with a performance by The Pride of the Dakotas, SDSU ice cream, food trucks, kids’ activities and student-athlete signatures. 

The one-day fundraising challenge relies heavily on digital communication and social media platforms to reach audiences. A team of 433 social ambassadors and strong campus partners played a key role in the fundraising efforts through the social media networks to spread the word about the celebration and encourage their friends and family to take part in One Day for State.

“One Day for State and the Yellow and Blue Block Party would not have been possible without support from the Jackrabbit family,” said Arian Bunde, vice president for strategy and innovation. “Whether you gave a gift, donated your time and talents, or simply celebrated State on Aug. 29, you truly made a difference for current and future Jackrabbits during One Day for State 2018.”

Find more information about One Day for State by following the SDSU Foundation on Facebook and Twitter or by visiting http://www.sdstatefoundation.org/odfs2018.

Courtesy image