On April 16, in the lobbies of Suffolk University’s academic buildings, there were stands serving coffee, iced tea and fruit punch. These stands weren’t just there to provide students with refreshments; they were promoting Suffolk’s annual “Day of Giving.” It provided a space for students to grab a barrage and discuss the “Day of Giving”, and how they could give back.
The “Day of Giving”— which began in 2017 and is running for its ninth year— is a 24-hour period in which the Suffolk Community comes together to give back to the university and raise money for certain programs or schools. When a donation is made, the donator is asked where they would like the money to go.They can choose to give the donation to the university itself, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Sawyer Business School or the Law School, the Suffolk Cares Pantry, athletic scholarships or so much more.
“It’s about getting support for our community,” said Allison Ford, a gift officer in the advancement office. “Making sure that those students who need the help that they require are able to get that and that the entire community is invested in each other.”
As of publication, there were 123 donors who donated a total of $150,878. The first “Day of Giving” in 2017 raised around $8,000, while last year’s event raised over $500,000 from over 500 donors.
“One of the things that in the advancement office that we love to do after someone has given a donation is we like to find out why they give,” said Ford. “We kind of track that to see, you know, what’s resonating with our community and how we can encourage more of that.”
One of Ford’s favorite stories she heard was that “it feels good to help others.”
Logan Hunt, a junior business major and a student ambassador in the advancement office, spoke about what the “Day of Giving” means for students and the office of advancement.
“It’s really empowering seeing all the work they do, especially covering all different areas like funding for the school,” said Hunt.
The office of advancement is an office for outreach that supports alumni and students alike. This is the first year they have offered a student ambassador position as a work study. The office of advancement has a hand in many different events around campus, most of which are open to the student body.
“I love the advancement office and I love all of the events they have held,” said Hunt. “I recently attended the Black Excellence event, which is a celebration of black students and alumni, so that was a really great chance to see the future and what it’s like post-grad for Suffolk students.”
Through his work study position in the advancement office, Hunt gets a unique opportunity to network with alumni. He always attends events with his LinkedIn ready and always sends out follow-up messages.
