GiveUNC is March 29

Perhaps you’ve read the emails or seen the ads pop up in your social media feeds. Maybe you’ve received a postcard in the mail or heard about it on the radio.

But just in case you haven’t heard the news:

Tuesday, March 29, is GiveUNC, UNC-Chapel Hill’s annual day of giving!

GiveUNC is a day when thousands of alumni, students, parents, friends, faculty and staff come together over the course of 24 hours to share their love for Carolina.

It’s a day when the University’s biggest fans collectively contribute millions of dollars in support of the people, programs, experiences and groundbreaking work being done by Tar Heels here in Chapel Hill and across the world.

Most importantly, “GiveUNC is a day to rally together behind all the wonderful things that Carolina is doing for the community, the state, the world,” said Darlene Gooch, executive director of Carolina Annual Giving, the University Development Office department that spearheads GiveUNC. “There’s truly no other day like it.”

A day to find a cause

UNC-Chapel Hill comprises one college (the College of Arts and Sciences), 13 schools, almost 50 academic departments and more than 65 centers and institutes — all doing innovative and creative work in research, education and service.

“As a monthly donor, I support UNC year-round, but GiveUNC is a great time to look around and marvel at the important work being done across campus,” said Stephanie Maher Ridley, director of advancement at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

On GiveUNC, you can find dozens of causes to support — from the College of Arts and Sciences to the School of Social Work to the Carolina College Advising Corps, the School of Law to UNC World View. You might even discover a new cause that piques your interest.

“Thanks to GiveUNC, my wife and I learned about areas of campus with critical funding needs,” said Matt Cain, senior director of development for UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. “We’re passionate about investing in our students’ research and the impact they can have on the populations we serve.”

You don’t have to wait until March 29 to find your cause — visit giveunc.unc.edu today to explore and find the causes that mean the most to you.

A day when your gift goes further

Long before the actual day, Carolina’s development teams are working behind the scenes to secure challenge gifts from the University’s most generous alumni and friends. Your gift of any size can unlock a vital challenge that will multiply the impact of your generosity.

Last year, supporters contributed $4.9 million in challenge revenue and met 94 challenges — including a challenge from Carolina alumnus Eugene Lao ’91, who matched all gifts to the Asian American Center dollar for dollar up to $50,000.

If you’re looking for a challenge to unlock this year, retired librarian and Carolina alumna Libby Grey ’91 will donate $5,000 to support undergraduate public service library internships if 50 faculty and staff members make gifts of any size to University Libraries on GiveUNC.

Be sure to check out the challenges on March 29 at giveunc.unc.edu/challenges. You are certain to find a challenge that inspires you.

A day for a little friendly competition

As every Carolina fan knows: Tar Heels are competitive. That friendly competition extends to the campus community — especially when the leaderboards roll out on GiveUNC.

Throughout the day, you can see in real time which schools and units are in the lead in total dollars raised and total number of gifts. Last year, the UNC College of Arts and Sciences topped the leaderboard with the most total gifts, and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School led with total dollars raised.

Be sure to check the leaderboards at giveunc.unc.edu/leaderboards on March 29 to see who’s in the lead and who might need your help.

A day to make a difference

On any day of the year, gifts of all sizes make a difference at Carolina. But on GiveUNC, the power is in the collective impact Tar Heels across the world can make in just one day.

A $5 gift, combined with 10 others, can provide a conference registration for a senior student preparing for the business world; 10 gifts of $10 can provide art supplies for aspiring artists at the Ackland Art Museum; 10 gifts of $25 can help purchase textbooks for a student.

There is no limit to the impact you and others can make with your gift, no matter the size. Last year on GiveUNC, the School of Social Work raised a historic $92,000 for the Maeda and David Galinsky Scholarship Fund. The fund honors the late Maeda Galinsky, a distinguished and passionate scholar, researcher, teacher and mentor who served for more than 50 years on the school’s faculty, and her husband David, a beloved and long-serving professor in the College’s psychology department.

The scholarship supports doctoral students in their studies and research and covers tuition, health insurance and a stipend for a full year. It has already been awarded to Ehren Dohler, a second-year doctoral student. Dohler has worked in the field of affordable housing and homelessness since 2012 and is on the design team for the school’s Tiny Homes Village project.

A day to spread the word

Carolina’s supporters have outdone themselves every year since GiveUNC was launched in 2018. GiveUNC 2021 was another record-breaking year, generating more than $12.1 million for Carolina’s schools and units — a 55% increase from 2020!

Join us on March 29 and help make this GiveUNC another record year.

Beyond making a gift, one of the best ways to join in the fun is to help spread the word. Share GiveUNC content online via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Tell your family and friends how you are helping the Carolina community make an even bigger impact in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the world. Follow the day’s progress online and keep the momentum going with the hashtag #GiveUNC.

Also — a favorite from last year — participate in our GiveUNC virtual photo booth, now through March 31. With the virtual photo booth, it’s easy to share branded content with your networks.

Visit giveunc.unc.edu/social to find resources and discover more ways to help spread the word and make this GiveUNC a day like no other!

By University Development