The cost of college is not cheap, but tuition dollars only go so far. A large amount of funding for projects and programs on campus come from what students pay each semester, but donations also play a large role in making much of what goes on at Rowan possible.
Just before spring break, Rowan held its ninth annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour-long event encouraging donations to different Rowan organizations, scholarships and programs. The event commemorates Henry and Betty Rowan’s 100 million dollar gift to Rowan, then called Glassboro State College, in 1992. Day of Giving encourages others to carry on the tradition of donating to better the school and the student experience.
This year 2,326 donations were made, adding up to a grand total of $314,672 according to Rowan’s Day of Giving official website. To incentivize donating, several “challenges” and “matches” are posted during the event. When certain donation goals are hit, additional larger donors promise to match or add to the amount raised. Through these promotions, the Department of Music received an extra $250 because it received the last donation of the day. The Rohrer College of Business (RCB) completed a challenge requiring 50 different people to donate to receive an additional $1,200 donation.
Of all the groups fundraising through the event and not including additional money from challenges or matches, RCB raised the most money coming in at $22,331.26. Its totals far exceeded those of other participants. The Rowan Fund, which came in second for the highest amount donated, received $12,799.46. That is nearly $10,000 less than RCB.
“I really enjoy Day of Giving. I think its such a fun day and I really enjoy the competition too. So I’m on the Day of Giving website all day long, watching the totals come in. I’m also all day long on social media, putting stuff out promoting,” said Karen Teller, the marketing and events specialist for RCB.
According to Teller, the funds raised on the Day of Giving went to the college itself, the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Center for Professional Development. Previously the funds have also been used to buy suits and professional wear for RCB students.
“I really enjoy being in higher ed and I think the Day of Giving just really supports our institution in supporting our students. It’s all about the students, giving them a firm foundation to go and be the people they end up being,” Teller said.
Despite RCB’s large dollar sum, Rowan Women’s Club Ice Hockey (RWIH) received the most donations with 144 separate gifts. While not having an official table at the Rowan Day of Giving event in the Chamberlain Student Center, the team banded together and spent the day at a teammate’s house watching the donation count and fundraising through social media and individually reaching out to friends and family, according to the team’s vice president, sophomore Micaiah Tinklenberg.
The team just returned from the National Championships in Boston Massachusetts. This was their fourth year competing at Nationals, and they typically use a large amount of the money they raise to pay for the trip. According to Tinklenberg, any excess goes towards covering expenses for the next year such as equipment, ice time and uniforms.
“It’s super important, these donations, because club sports, we’re not funded by the school at all. Everything comes from the members themselves. So it’s important for supporters to donate so they can have more resources,” Tinklenberg said.
Donations, big or small, are a large part of what creates exciting and important opportunities and experiences for students at Rowan. Rowan’s Day of Giving encourages generosity by allowing donors to give directly to specific causes and see exactly who their donations will impact and how.
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