Pepperdine Raises More Than $500,000 on First-Ever Giving Day
On March 8, 2017, the Pepperdine University community united in support of future
generations of Waves during Give2Pepp, the University’s first-ever Giving Day. The
global initiative raised more than a half million dollars for academic programs and
student life opportunities in 37 hours.
A total of $562,049 was raised in 2,840 onsite and online gifts of five dollars and greater. Participants had the opportunity to donate to any of hundreds of designations spanning from Pepperdine’s top-ranked International Programs division, to its Center for Women in Leadership, to each of its 17 men’s and women’s NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports teams. Pepperdine students, alumni, and friends also participated in 17 University-wide matches and challenges that contributed to $241,500 of the total.
“Through a multi-pronged effort across all five of Pepperdine’s schools, with a focus on social media and gamification of donor goals, we were able to exceed our participation goal by almost 200 percent,” said Pepperdine Fund director Cynthia Ware.
“We aim to build upon this engagement to ensure that every Giving Day is more successful than the last. Give2Pepp’s success is not only a testament to our efforts but to the Pepperdine community’s dedication to future generations of Waves.”
Give2Pepp’s primary goals were to heighten alumni engagement and strengthen the student experience through giving. Messaging also emphasized that all students benefit from the resources harnessed from small annual gifts, especially through student scholarships, as an estimated 75 to 80 percent of all undergraduate students at Pepperdine receive some type of financial aid.
“Giving Day is an opportunity to honor the people and programs that inspire and shape the Pepperdine experience. I could not be prouder of those who participated in Give2Pepp and made it an enormous success,” said Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton. “Lives are changed for the better at Pepperdine—and that is a cause that deserves our ongoing investment.”
Give2Pepp’s 37-hour giving window (from 9 AM on Tuesday, March 7, to 10 PM on Wednesday, March 8) honored Pepperdine’s 1937 founding and allowed for global participation across the University’s seven international campuses.
For additional information about Pepperdine Giving Day and the giving challenges, visit the Give2Pepp website.