Award: Gold

Institution: California State University, Fullerton

Title of Entry: Titans Give: A Day of Giving

About this Entry: Universities nationwide are feeling the pinch of dwindling funds from government sources. A funding shortage begs the question, "How will universities provide an affordable and valuable education when funding continues to be cut short?" Cal State Fullerton's "Day of Giving" did just that. Titans rallied March 12, 2020, to make #TitansGive, Cal State Fullerton's first-ever day of giving, an unqualified success!
The 24-hour online donation marathon included a variety of giving challenges and sponsored matches. The total amount raised was $239,139 in support of student success.
So, how did we do this? We took to social media. With minimal time and limited funds, the Strategic Communications department at Cal State Fullerton produced a series of social media videos that helped promote the day-long event and multiple posts using our official @csuf accounts, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Our social posts, coupled with a dynamic marketing campaign that included a dedicated website, news stories, email blasts, and a network of social influencers, raised awareness around the 15 areas that we were hoping to fund.
And, yes, we did all this as a pandemic loomed in the background.
The 24-hour event was the largest single-day of gift-giving in the history of the university. It was exemplary in many ways, from the strategic marketing campaign to the individual social posts that ensured audiences outside of our usual donor channels would be aware and engaging in helping make a difference in the life of a Titan.