Twenty-four hours. Dozens of opportunities to give. That’s what awaits Columbus State University alumni and friends starting at 5 p.m. on Monday, April 6, when the university launches CSU Gives. The annual online giving drive highlights how alumni and donors can quickly impact students’ experiences and academic success through their charitable contributions. “Gifts of all sizes benefit our students every day,” said Alexis Gray, Assistant Director of Alumni and Student Engagement and 2018 graduate of the Turner College's MSOL program, who is co-leading the CSU Gives effort. “They make college affordable through scholarships and make learning from outstanding faculty possible in the classroom. They enhance the college experience through unique experiences and leadership development that help our students succeed in their studies and position them for success in their careers.” Gray explained that the 24-hour giving period will feature some competitive online “power hours” designed to encourage alumni to donate to their former colleges and programs. There will also be special “power hour” challenges for former student-athletes and military-connected alumni to make online donations during the day. Since these invitations will be sent to alumni and donors via email, anyone wanting to update their contact information before the campaign starts can do so on the Alumni website. “Ultimately, CSU Gives is about making it easy for our alumni and friends to designate a gift to any area of the university they wish to support—especially areas that played a significant role in their own college and career success,” Gray added.
Donors can explore the university’s online giving site and use drop-down menus to filter by giving areas, including colleges and departments, student success programs, campus services, and Athletics teams. Donors may also select the “CSU Fund,” which equips President Stuart Rayfield and other executive leaders with resources to capitalize on strategic opportunities or address urgent needs. Columbus State students should also be on the lookout on April 7 for ways to get involved in CSU Gives. Among those are “Class Cab” golf cart rides between classes, where students can help maximize the campaign’s impact by answering university-related trivia questions that unlock matching gifts and special giving challenges. CSU Gives leads up to post-campaign celebration and birthday party—in honor of CSU’s Cody the Cougar mascot—which begins at 5 p.m. at Ragsdale Field. “Cody’s Birthday Bash,” as well as admission to the 6 p.m. CSU Baseball game, is free and open to all. Both events will feature meet-and-greets with Cody, games and activities, giveaways and onsite concessions. Gray reminds Columbus State’s alumni and friends that, like the impact of charitable giving, the opportunity to donate is available year-round. “Philanthropy is crucial to our efforts to support our students as well as our alumni. There isn’t a day on our campus that donations aren’t benefiting our students in many incredible ways,” she said. While CSU Gives officially begins April 6, early online donations can be made in advance of the campaign’s launch by visiting the CSU Gives website.
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