Giving Blueday Raises $800,000+

Giving Blueday has become an annual tradition at UM-Flint and across its social media platforms. This year, over $800,0000 was raised during the 24-hour online event designed to encourage donations for campus priorities specifically aimed at benefiting students. While this amount fell short of the $1 million goal, it significantly exceeds past Giving Blueday totals.

“While we always knew we had the support of our community of donors—alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students—this year we challenged ourselves to be bold, to work harder, and do better. Our donors responded,” wrote Chancellor Deba Dutta in a message to alumni following the event.

“People from across the campus and our friends and alumni across the country banded together to make this possible. I am extraordinarily proud of this collective effort and sincerely thank you for all you do on behalf of the University.”

While the generosity of donors directly contributed to the success of this year’s total, students played a critical role in helping the university promote the event. Fifteen students from across the five academic units volunteered as student ambassadors—serving as the collective voice of UM-Flint’s students to tell their personal stories, many of which often resemble those of their peers.

“The student ambassadors helped us connect and reconnect with donors, alumni, and friends, nurturing the culture of philanthropy on campus and in the Flint community,” said Tetyana Clarke, donor relations and stewardship officer, University Advancement.

“They were enthusiastic about projects and volunteered a great deal of their time to help the university cultivate and steward our donors. Specifically, they worked on creating high-quality solicitation and thank you videos as well as promoting the event across the campus and the Flint community… I was impressed by their energy and spirit as I knew they were also in the midst of their winter semester and had school, family, and work commitments on top of being ambassadors. We received feedback from our donors who were also impressed and touched by students’ stories that we shared with them online.”

Representing the School of Management as a student ambassador was graduate student Sheena Burgos (BS, 2020). “Scholarships made a big difference in my education by allowing me to be selective in how I spent my free time and in helping me achieve my goals and complete the last semester of my bachelor’s degree,” said Burgos, who is currently pursuing an MBA.

“What motivated me to participate was the dedication and support I have for UM-Flint. I love helping people and would go above and beyond for them as well as our community. I love that I had the opportunity to make a difference.”

Also representing the School of Management was Alexis Menard (BBA, 2021) who was wrapping up her final semester in the undergraduate organizational behavior & human resource management and marketing programs.

“I have tremendously benefited from giving at UM-Flint, and I wanted to give back a portion of my time to promote an initiative that can benefit the lives of thousands of students,” said Menard. “Giving Blueday is a time when the UM-Flint community comes together and makes an impact on campus. I am happy to be a part of such an important initiative and connect with my fellow peers, alumni, staff, faculty, and donors.

“My life has completely changed because of scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, I will be graduating from UM-Flint debt free. Scholarships have lightened an incredible financial burden and allowed me to focus my time and energy shaping the UM-Flint culture by taking on roles as president of the Society for Human Resource Management, student scholar for the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and mentor for the Success Mentorship Program through the Division of Student Affairs. I am fortunate to have had these opportunities to impact the lives of other students and broaden my horizons to learn the necessary skills for my career.”

Giving Blueday 2022 is set to take place on Wednesday, March 16. For more information about Giving Blueday, visit umflint.edu/givingblueday.