Women’s basketball, Harrington school among top fundraisers
Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University of Rhode Island celebrated this year’s first Day of Giving event by donating money to the URI Foundation and Alumni Engagement (URIFAE).
The URIFAE looked to raise $1 million from community members on the Oct. 7 Day of Giving to go towards financial aid, research funding and athletic support.
President Marc Parlange, after experiencing his first Day of Giving at URI, said that the donors have shown generosity for the hard-working faculty, staff and students through their donations.
“Everybody’s worked really, really hard for the last eight months and people have been resilient, strong and positive,” Parlange said. “[Donors] have really supported everybody along the way, so we’re very grateful, and we want to acknowledge that.”
Parlange noted that any amount of money is helpful for the University, no matter how big or small.
In the nearly five years that Lil Breul O’Rourke has served as the URIFAE President, URI’s endowment has grown significantly. In 2019 she passed the 2018 giving total by 24 percent and she continues to advance with contributions and returning donors, according to her URIFAE profile.
O’Rourke said that donations and matching challenge grants during the Day of Giving are pivotal towards the success of University programs and colleges.
“I tell donors that we can squeeze a quarter out of a nickel,” she said. “Any gift to URI has an enormous impact and is meaningful.”
The past two year’s Days of Giving shifted to a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Rourke said that being back on the Quad and seeing in-person engagement made the event particularly special.
According to O’Rourke, the Day of Giving is not only a one-day fundraiser; it recruits members of the URI community to continue supporting the University.
“We want people to understand how good it feels to give to URI, and then we get them in the habit every year,” she said. “It’s like muscle memory because giving and having an impact feels good.”
Among the various clubs and organizations stationed on the Quad was URI’s sailing team. This club sport relies heavily on donors to keep their boats up and running.
Beth Albone, a senior at URI and skipper on the sailing team, spoke to attendees about the Day of Giving’s impact on the team. She said that donations are crucial for the team to continue sailing and that the crew received a generous match donation.
“We really want to spread awareness of the team to try and maximize the amount of funds we get,” Albone said. “We were lucky enough to have an anonymous donor who is matching us today, so we are so grateful for them and for anyone else who gives.”
Various other programs attended the Day of Giving, including Greek Life and the URI Hillel Center. Other groups held fundraising events of their own, such as the women’s basketball team, which pledged to pie the face of a team member for any donation of $250 or more.
At the end of the 24-hour donation period, the URIFAE announced that the 2021 Day of Giving set new records. Over 2,900 donors contributed $1.4 million to the various causes involved.
Some of the most successful fundraisers were led by the Harrington School of Communication and Media, the Nancy K. Bond Endowed Scholarship Fund and the women’s basketball team.
Future Days of Giving have not yet been scheduled. The URIFAE accepts donations on their website at any time to offer students optimal experiences during their time at URI.