Florida Tech’s Inaugural Day of Giving Breaks Participation Goals

By  //  December 11, 2015

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Florida Institute of Technology’s inaugural Day of Giving event attracted 1,499 donors from around the world, tripling the university’s initial goal of 500. (FIT Image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Institute of Technology’s inaugural Day of Giving event attracted 1,499 donors from around the world, tripling the university’s initial goal of 500.

The 24-hour event drew alumni participants from 63 countries.

Featuring a special interactive campaign website at https://dayofgiving.fit.edu/ that included live totals, countries participating and other information, Florida Tech’s Day of Giving was driven by social media: milestones and challenges were announced on Facebook and Twitter, for example. Twitter was also used to engage notable alumni.

This technology focus appeared to help attract the attention and participation of younger Florida Tech alumni.

And the site and overall donor experience helped attract the attention of someone else, too: donor relations expert, author and speaker Lynne Wester. Writing on her blog at DonorRelationsGuru.com about #GivingTuesday events, she singled out Florida Tech.

“Finally, THE BEST giving experience of the day goes to the folks at Florida Institute of Technology. Their giving site was PHENOMENAL – https://dayofgiving.fit.edu/ is the site. They sent us on a mission to rescue their deans. It was interactive, it was powerful and darn it it was FUN! It was so well executed….Brilliant Idea and Execution. Well done. The best I have ever seen.”

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Bino Campanini, vice president for alumni relations and executive director of the Florida Tech Alumni Association, said Florida Tech grads worldwide showed their Panther Pride on Tuesday.

“We asked our alumni to step up, and they did in a major way,” he said. “Our heartfelt thanks go out to each and every one of them.”

The widespread participation is a key factor in how organizations, including the influential ranking publication U.S. News and World Report, perceive the success of an institute and how they ultimately rank it.

The money raised will go to the Panther Fund, which supports Florida Tech’s greatest needs, including financial aid, research and student activities.