Donors contribute $140K during IGNITE GivingTuesday

More than 800 donors gave $140,012 during UIC’s IGNITE GivingTuesday initiative Nov. 27 through Dec. 2.

“We were beyond thrilled,” said Meredith Howell, executive director of participation in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement. “Everyone came together, and we had wonderful results.”

At UIC, Giving Tuesday encourages participation among alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students, and aims to build a culture of philanthropy on campus by demonstrating the collective power, and impact, of giving to support the UIC community.

This year, 20 percent of the donors were students, who helped UIC surpass its goals.

“We think it’s great that students are finding ways to get involved through philanthropy,” Howell said. “Giving Tuesday starts from within.”

During IGNITE GivingTuesday, UIC hosted a student contest to identify areas on campus that are results of private philanthropy. Winning students could designate their $250 prize the GivingTuesday area of their choice. The winners were LAS student Rachel Le Comber and UIC Business student Bri Daniel. Le Comber designated her prize to the UIC Women’s Tennis Scholarship Fund and Daniel gave hers to the College of Business.

IGNITE GivingTuesday was part of a five-year fundraising campaign on campus, called “IGNITE: The Campaign for UIC,” which launched last fall. The campaign’s goal is to raise $750 million over five years to forge the future of education by redefining the student experience, empowering faculty, driving discovery and connecting to communities.

Those who are still interested in donating to UIC can visit give.uic.edu for more information.