From the judges: Good buy-in and participation from all of the campus partners. Great that the university president and his wife appealed to donors! Good result, in that it seems to have revealed and created a new need, and a new fund.
March Match-Up to Basic Needs Pivot
Category
Fundraising > Targeted Campaigns
Description
Award: Gold
Institution: California State University, Fresno
Title of Entry: March Match-Up to Basic Needs Pivot
About this Entry: Since 2015 Fresno State has used the month of March to raise enough money to annually fund our Student Cupboard through the March Match Up campaign. With the onset of COVID and the ensuing quarantine, Fresno State shifted our focus mid-March to expand support to not only our Student Cupboard but all of our basic needs programs. This effort allowed us to support our students at all levels by expanding our focus to include student health and wellness, emergency relief funds for students impacted fiscally by the quarantine, and technology support for students having to shift to a virtual learning environment.
These efforts resulted in $327,275 being raised in March, nearly $75,000 more than our previous high (2019’s $252,822), and the creation of an ongoing Basic Needs Fund, which will continue to support Fresno State’s most venerable students, regardless of the situations they encounter in the future.