Posted 11:10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024
Reflecting on the evolution and impact of One Day for UWL
During One Day for UWL Oct. 15 and 16, the university will celebrate its fifth-annual giving day.
To date, the event has generated more than 6,000 donations totaling nearly $1.3 million, supporting student success and touching every corner of campus.
Taylor Wilmoth, development officer for the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation, and formerly the assistant director for strategic engagement, spearheaded the creation and organization of the event in its first four years. She watched it grow with each new iteration, and is now handing the reins to Lauren Wanders, the Foundation’s annual giving coordinator.
Wilmoth took a moment to reflect on how far the event has come, answering five questions as we mark five years of One Day for UWL.
Q: How did One Day for UWL originate?
A: The idea of giving days or 24 hours of giving was a big push that started in the early 2000s. It’s really just another pillar in the overall annual giving strategy. I was talking to my supervisor at the time, Jeff Meyer, and we decided we were in a strong enough position to take this on. More than that, we were in the pandemic and looking for a way to bring people together to support students. I did a ton of research to see what other schools had done, and I learned a lot from them. Initially, we set a goal of 250 donors, which we later bumped up to 500. We ended up smashing that goal, with more than 1,200 people donating on our inaugural giving day. That’s when we knew this could really be successful at UWL, and that our community was ready for it.
Q: How have you seen One Day for UWL evolve?
A: We’ve changed small things like the date and the motto, moving away from Giving Tuesday in December and adopting the One Day for UWL name and the Live Maroon motto. We’ve also changed a few big things. First, as the event grew, more donors and more areas of campus have become involved, and so people can support the area that is most important to them. Second, coming out of the pandemic and returning to campus in 2022, we were really excited to create a campus presence involving faculty, staff and students during One Day as we continue to build a culture of philanthropy. Third, we’ve continued to build the digital presence with videos, graphics and social media engagement. We’ve also improved our systems to make it easier for donors to make a monthly gift, give to multiple areas at one time, or make a gift through payment services like Venmo or PayPal.
Q: What aspect of One Day for UWL are you most proud of?
A: I’m really proud of the way the campus community and our alumni and friends have jumped right on board. They quickly realized this was a fun and great opportunity to support areas of campus they care about. We didn’t know how successful we would be in that first year, and that comes with risk. But there have been so many people on campus who have worked together to make this event what it’s become, and the support has been incredible.
Q: What would you like to say to those who have supported One Day for UWL in the past, or who plan to do so in the future?
A: I’m so grateful for our alumni, parents, faculty, staff and students who bought into this early. I want them to know that their generosity really does make a difference, as UWL relies heavily on philanthropy to give students an outstanding experience. I also want people to know that this event is for anyone who loves UWL — regardless of how much you’re able to give. You can give $5 or $10 to the club you were a part of, to the library where you spent countless hours studying, or in honor of a beloved staff or faculty member. You can sponsor a match or challenge gift and rally your classmates to join in on One Day. There’s a lot of freedom in it, and you can make it personal. That’s what’s so special about it.
Q: Finally, what does One Day for UWL mean to you?
A: There are lots of different annual events that come to mind when we think of UWL: athletics, commencement, the start of the school year. One Day for UWL has become another one of those major events — our largest philanthropic day of the year. For 24 hours, we come together as a group to give back and celebrate all the ways the philanthropy impacts UWL.