The theme of BU Giving Day 2019 was “BU Moves”—and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine certainly did that, moving up the leaderboard during the sixth annual BU Giving Day, which took place Wednesday, April 3, 2019.
GSDM started the day ranked 15th among Boston University’s 17 schools and colleges, but finished in sixth place for both participation and money raised. While the gifts are still being tallied, initial estimates from GSDM’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations put the donations raised by GSDM at almost $100,000.
BU Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising drive that takes place every April. Gifts made on Giving Day earn bonus funds for schools and colleges thanks to donors who match contributions, and the University’s schools and colleges engage in a friendly competition with each other. This year, BU raised more than $3 million collectively—a number that is still growing, as more donations are counted.
“I am so grateful to the members of the GSDM community who made Giving Day a success,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “This is a very exciting time for our school, and their gifts will support GSDM’s programs, initiatives, and generations of students to come.”
On April 3, as students, residents, fellows, faculty, staff, and patients streamed through the Patient & Visitor entrance at 635 Albany Street, they were greeted by Stacey McNamee, director of alumni relations & annual giving, and Katie O’Shea, alumni officer. Red, purple, and white balloons danced in the air, while a large cardboard cutout of BU mascot Rhett grinned in the corner.
McNamee and O’Shea were on hand to help individuals in the giving process, directing them to the online site and receiving physical donations. Donors were encouraged to write down the reasons they chose to give back to GSDM on a whiteboard and pose for photographs, which were posted online. Sunglasses, decks of cards, and wind-up miniature robots were among the gifts offered to participants.
This year, every gift made to GSDM earned bonus dollars from Uday Reebye DMD 98, member of GSDM’s Dean’s Advisory Board, while every staff gift was matched with a $10 gift by McNamee.
“I’m constantly amazed by the generosity displayed by students, faculty, staff, and alumni on Giving Day,” McNamee said. “Though GSDM may have a smaller alumni base when compared to some of the other colleges within the University, we consistently rank among the top in both participation and funds raised during Giving Day.”
In the days leading up to Giving Day, students and faculty shared their motivations to give back to GSDM.
“It’s really important, in some way, to give back to the place that has given me so much,” Krupali Patel DMD 20 said.
Individuals who missed Giving Day, but are still interested in donating can do so here. And for more photos of the event, click here.