First-Ever Giving Day Rallies Tremendous Support from University Community

On March 8, the Pepperdine University community united in support of future generations of Waves during Give2Pepp, the University’s first-ever Giving Day. The global initiative mobilized Pepperdine faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to contribute to the ongoing excellence of the academic programs and student life opportunities that define the Pepperdine experience. Give2Pepp’s 37-hour giving window (from 9 AM PST on March 7 to 10 PM PST on March 8) honored Pepperdine’s 1937 founding and allowed for global participation across the University’s seven international campuses.

With approximately 3,070 participants, 1,129 of them being first-time donors, the number of gifts received on Giving Day alone was 40 percent of last year’s entire Pepperdine Fund donor count. Give2Pepp’s primary goals were to heighten alumni engagement and strengthen the student experience through giving. These goals emphasized the impact of 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.

“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.”

A total of $583,441 was raised in onsite and online gifts of five dollars and greater. Participants had the opportunity to donate to hundreds of designations spanning from Pepperdine’s top-ranked International Programs 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 $284,730 of the total.

“Giving Day is an opportunity to honor the people and programs that inspire and shape the Pepperdine experience,” said Pepperdine University president Andrew K. Benton. “I could

not be prouder of those who participated in Give2Pepp and made it an enormous success. Lives are changed for the better at Pepperdine—and that is a cause that deserves our ongoing investment.”