NECC’s First #GivingTuesday is a Success

This quote by Winston Churchill represents the spirit of the #GivingTuesday movement, which Northern Essex participated in for the first time on december 1, 2015.

In its fourth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is intended to kick off the charitable season and promote giving. Started by the 92nd Street Y in New York City, it was bolstered by social media and is now an international day of giving, with over 30,000 participating organizations. According to the #GivingTuesday website, there has been an estimated 470% increase in online donations on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving since the program’s inception in 2012.

Northern Essex’s Institutional Advancement Office decided to participate in #GivingTuesday for the first time in December of 2015, viewing it as an opportunity to encourage giving and to promote donor support and the impact it has on the students. “We really wanted to raise awareness of how vital donor support is to our students,” said Lindsey Mayo, director of alumni and community relations.

The initial effort was a success, and over the course of 24 hours the college brought in more than 140 gifts and pledges. Many donors took to social media to share their support, while others visited one of the #GivingTuesday tables situated around campus or answered phone calls from NECC’s great team of phonathon students. Funds collected from the inaugural giving campaign will benefit student scholarships and academic programs.

Jessica Dick, a 2011 graduate of the college who currently teaches at UMass Boston and Wheelock College, was one of the alumni donors who saw #GivingTuesday as an opportunity to give back to the college. “It was the very least I could do as a thank you. NECC helped guide me along my path toward professionalism, and to me, Giving Tuesday represents helping others as they begin their’s.”

Employee Richard Haskell, director of fiscal services, agrees that helping NECC students succeed is important. “I think it was a great idea to bring everyone together to give around a common theme on a common day. I was happy to donate to help our students.”