Justin Wilson, a software engineering senior, was one of the many students who wrote thank-you notes during North Texas Giving Day. Gifts from alumni, friends, faculty and staff members brought in nearly $80,000 for UT Dallas
UT Dallas received a boost of nearly $80,000 – about 40 percent of which went to the Callier Center for Communication Disorders – from alumni, friends, faculty and staff gifts during the fifth annual North Texas Giving Day on Sept. 19.
Sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas, North Texas Giving Day allows qualified nonprofits to receive challenge funds for each donation of $25 or more during the one-day event.
From 7 a.m. to midnight, donors from around the world gave approximately $25.2 million to more than 1,300 North Texas nonprofits. For UT Dallas, donors designated their gifts to benefit many programs, including the Academic Bridge program, Alumni Relations, the Athletics program, Center for BrainHealth, Center for Children and Families, Center for Vital Longevity, and CentralTrak, as well as several of the University's schools.
Alumni support of the event made a special impact, said Erin Dougherty, senior director of alumni relations and annual giving at UT Dallas. More than 100 alumni made gifts during the day, including 21 first-time givers to the University. Alumni giving is one factor in the ranking methodology used by U.S. News & World Report and by other outside assessments. “By leveraging their contributions through North Texas Giving Day, alumni help UT Dallas improve its national ranking and the value of their degrees,” Dougherty said.
Every gift counts, regardless of size, when measuring alumni giving rates.
The Callier Center received a record number of donations, with 80 donors contributing a total of more than $31,000. Gifts will benefit patients in need through the Callier Care Fund, which was created so that children and adults could receive treatment to help them hear and speak, regardless of their income, level of insurance coverage or socioeconomic backgrounds.
UT Dallas students wrote thank-you notes and encouraged their families to participate in North Texas Giving Day.
“It is amazing what caring, generous people can accomplish in one day when they band together to support a cause that is close to the heart. I am deeply grateful to Callier’s faculty, clinicians and staff, our patients and loyal donors in the community,” said Dr. Thomas Campbell, the Ludwig A. Michael, MD, Executive Director of the Callier Center and Sara T. Martineau Professor. “Because of these benevolent donors, patients will have access to care that will forever change their lives.”
Challenge funds and prizes for North Texas Giving Day were contributed by the Hunt Cares Campaign, Communities Foundation of Texas, Harold Simmons Foundation, Meadows Foundation, Dallas Foundation, Rees-Jones Foundation, Sid W. Richardson Foundation, Community Foundation of North Texas, Dallas Women’s Foundation, Bank of America, The Container Store, Metropolitan Press and anonymous donors. WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and The Dallas Morning News were media sponsors.
UT Dallas students volunteered their time (see slideshow) by writing thank-you notes and encouraging their families to participate. Tiff’s Treats donated cookies and milk to help motivate the volunteers.
All of the gifts received during North Texas Giving Day count toward the UT Dallas Realize the Vision: The Campaign for Tier One & Beyond fundraising campaign. More than $165 million has been raised toward the $200 million goal.