The UC Santa Barbara community collectively raised $6,511,450 through 3,537 gifts on UCSB Give Day 2024, breaking all records and solidifying its place as a celebrated campus tradition.
When the clock struck midnight on April 11, the excitement began. The following 36 hours passed in a rush of generosity and camaraderie. Alumni, parents and friends set the tone with matching gifts and participation challenges.
This year, supporters stepped up with creative new ideas. Individuals including Jordan Kaplan ’83 led the alumni charge. As the day unfolded, Kaplan spearheaded exciting opportunities for donors at every level to make a meaningful impact.
This innovative approach inspired others to join the festivities. During Give Day sprints, the top three funds with the most individual donors won bonus gifts for their areas. On UC Santa Barbara’s Instagram, followers left hundreds of comments about their favorite academic areas and programs, and one was chosen at random to win a bonus $500 gift contributed by Kaplan. This is just one instance of alumni, friends and families embracing the fun and competitive nature of the day.
UC Santa Barbara supporters fulfilled every matching and participation challenge on Give Day. The energy was high, culminating in a thrilling race to exceed 3,500 gifts spurred on by a challenge gift from UC Santa Barbara Foundation Board Chair John Arnhold ’75.
As a result, donor participation surged to a 52% increase over UCSB Give Day 2023. Gifts came in from 43 states and 16 countries, and donors supported more than 170 funds across campus.
On campus, students queued for t-shirts, excited to pick up this year’s exclusive color and the new holographic Storke Tower sticker. As #UCSBGiveDay posts proliferated online and as the gift ticker increased, students experienced firsthand the power of the alumni community that they will soon enter.
UCSB Give Day is about the collective impact of many. Our 2024 event proved that our robust community was ready to focus their energy on UC Santa Barbara.
“Far and wide, the UC Santa Barbara community converged to support the university on this special day. Thank you to our campus partners who helped make UCSB Give Day a success. UCSB Give Day will return in April 2025, and we can’t wait to see what new ideas this next year will bring,” said Chris Pizzinat, executive director of the Office of Development.