Cal Poly Pomona's Giving Day 2024 Raises Over $550,000
This week’s Giving Day showed what can happen when Broncos support other Broncos. The 36-hour online fundraiser, which took place April 17-18, raised over $550,000 through more than 1,050 gifts, making it one of the most significant Giving Day events in Cal Poly Pomona history.
More than 150 different funding opportunities on campus benefitted from the event. The funds raised will be put to good use, helping to build resources and expand services for students. Broncos gave from across the world, including 24 states, with the most gifts—nearly 940—coming from California, as well as from Mexico, Australia, Great Britain and Iceland.
Crucial to this year’s success were 145 Giving Day ambassadors who reached out to their networks via email, social media and word of mouth, encouraging them to give.
The ambassador who saw the most activity from their network—with 50 unique gifts—was Laura Ayon, director of TRIO Student Support Services and the Reading, Advising and Mentoring Program (RAMP). “As a federal TRIO program, we are restricted in how we spend our funds. By fundraising, we are able to offer additional activities that promote student engagement,” Ayon shared on a LinkedIn post with her network. RAMP also won the leaderboard challenge with nearly 100 unique donors participating. The funds raised will positively impact economically-challenged, first-generation college students, as well as students with disabilities.
Jorge A. Garduno, associate director of donor digital engagement says that the event “takes a village, a CPP village.” “I’d like to thank all the ambassadors who helped share CPP Giving Day online, our generous donors and the entire Bronco community that came together and showed their support,” he said. “Giving Day is a crowdfunding effort, and its success is directly attributed to the community that rallies around it.”
The College of Science completed a 50 gift challenge and received over 145 gifts. Over $2,100 was raised to support Cal Poly Pomona Bat Week. Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Rachel Blakey is one of the co-leaders who dreamt up the project, fueled by her love of bats. After the success of their inaugural program, this year’s funding will go to supporting next year’s Bat Week, with the goal of providing students the opportunity to discover local urban biodiversity and empowering them to share what they learn with the CPP community. Part of the campaign’s success was thanks to their team of “amBATssadors.”
Another impressive campaign was Bronco Athletics, which raised nearly $88,000 in more than 130 gifts. “Your financial investment in any of our 11 intercollegiate sports makes a huge difference in the lives of our students-athletes,” said Brian Swanson, director of intercollegiate athletics. “It is an important way to show your Bronco Pride for our student-athletes in their journey at Cal Poly Pomona.”
Gifts will continue to arrive by mail and the latest totals can be found at givingday.cpp.edu. Donations can also be made at any time at www.cpp.edu/giving.
For more information, contact Jorge Garduno, associate director of donor digital engagement, at jagarduno@cpp.edu.