Pitt Day of Giving on Feb. 23 will have $200,000 in challenge funds

By SUSAN JONES

Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg has issued a challenge to Pitt faculty and staff for Pitt Day of Giving on Feb. 23.

If 2,000 faculty and/or staff donate, Nordenberg will give an extra $5,000 to the area that received the most gifts from faculty and staff members. Last year, the final total of faculty and staff donors was 1,806 — exceeding the goal of 1,787.

Nordenberg’s challenge is just one of several during the fifth annual Day of Giving. Overall, there will be $200,000 in challenge funds up for grabs on Feb. 23, said Jake Strang, assistant vice chancellor, Alumni Annual Giving.

Last year, 7,630 unique donors gave to Pitt on the Day of Giving, exceeding the goal of 7,000. Overall, more than $1.6 million was raised, with gifts from all 50 states and 31 countries.

“Pitt Day of Giving is a day for the global Pitt community to come together,” Strang said. “Gifts of all sizes help us to work toward a goal of exceeding our results from previous years.”

Other challenges this year include:

Color Your Cathy Challenge: Download and print out a drawing of the Cathedral of Learning, then post it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #PittDayofGiving. On Feb. 23, the Day of Giving team will pick its favorites and feature them on the Pitt Alumni Association social media channels. The favorites will each win $500 to donate to the fund of their choice.

1787 Challenge: The 1,787th virtual donor (in honor of Pitt’s founding year) will receive additional funds to give to the area of their choice.

G.O.L.D. (Graduates Of The Last Decade) Challenge: If 979 recent alumni (Classes 2011-20) make a gift, $5,000 from Trustee and Immediate Past Pitt Alumni Association President Lisa Golden (A&S’93) will be released to the area that received the most gifts from recent alumni.

School Challenges: New this year, some schools and colleges were able to fund additional challenges, which can be found on their individual campaign pages at pittdayofgiving.com. Schools and colleges will once again vie for challenge funds by trying to achieve the most donors and “Raise the Bar” by exceeding their previous results.

“The pandemic has made us re-evaluate the way we look at Pitt Day of Giving,” Strang said. “In year’s past, we hosted a large PDoG celebration in the William Pitt Union, and schools and regional campuses held smaller events at other locations. This year we will be unable to physically gather in one space, but we still look forward to seeing the Pitt community come together online and on social media.

“We’re mindful that this year has affected each of us differently, but we still want Pitt Day of Giving to be a day we can all celebrate Pitt. We’re excited to see how everyone participates in a way that is meaningful to them. Whether it is making a gift, spreading the word on social media, encouraging others to get involved, or participating in our Color your Cathy challenge, there is really something for everyone on February 23.”

For other challenges and information about Pitt Day of Giving, go to pittdayofgiving.com.

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.

 

Have a story idea or news to share? Share it with the University Times.

Follow the University Times on Twitter and Facebook.