Purdue community prepares to rally for 11th Day of Giving

The 11th Purdue Day of Giving is scheduled for Wednesday (April 24), and Boilermakers around the world will be celebrating the university’s reputation for excellence at scale by rallying together for Purdue.

The 24-hour online, social media-driven fundraising effort encompasses all of Purdue’s campuses — West Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Purdue Northwest — as well as Purdue Global. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, fans, parents, retirees, and Greater Lafayette community members are encouraged to rally behind the university by making a gift.

Participation in the hourly challenges can help a donor’s favorite unit (campus, college, school, program or student organization) win bonus funds throughout the day. Each gift also helps units climb the donation and participation leaderboards for additional funds. 

Purdue President Mung Chiang will be hosting a campus run for Boilermaker students, faculty, staff, friends and neighbors. The run will begin at 1 p.m. on the steps of Hovde Hall, and participants are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early. Chiang will lead runners around Mackey Arena and then to Memorial Mall, which will be transformed into the university’s first-ever “selfie museum” for this year’s Purdue Day of Giving student experience.

With a gift of $10, students will receive exclusive access to interactive installations, which include a ball pit, murals, walls of donuts and Purdue-themed rubber ducks, an oversized Purdue swing, and more. There will also be free food, including hot dogs, pretzels, and food trucks from Mary Lou Donuts and Igloo Frozen Custard.

Since its $7.5 million total in 2014, Purdue Day of Giving has seen consistent growth. Last year’s event raised a historic $110.8 million — topping the previous year’s $68.2 million — with 27,855 gifts received from donors around the world. Last year’s total set a record for most dollars raised for higher education through a single-day campaign.

To donate on Wednesday, visit dayofgiving.purdue.edu or call 800-319-2199. For more information and the full list of challenges, visit dayofgiving.purdue.edu/leaderboards.