March 14, 2024
Contact: Courtney Perrett, 573-882-6217, cperrett@missouri.edu
University of Missouri Advancement officials announced today that 2,175 gifts were donated during the seventh Mizzou Giving Day, raising a total of $12,710,667. Mizzou Giving Day, which was celebrated from noon Wednesday, March 13, through noon Thursday, March 14, is the university’s campaign to inspire individuals and groups to support MU through giving, challenges and matching gift opportunities.
“We’re grateful to Tigers around the world for their tremendous generosity this Mizzou Giving Day,” said Jackie Lewis, vice chancellor for advancement. “Whether it’s gifts supporting student success and leading-edge research or funding to transform and improve existing programs and services, our global community showed its passion for Mizzou. The support of each and every donor helps the university serve the greater community and our students.”
This year’s campaign featured competitions and corresponding gift opportunities to inspire giving. Nearly 100 Mizzou Giving Day Ambassadors competed for spots on the leaderboard as their networks contributed to MU funds using ambassadors’ personalized fundraising links. With 93 gifts in support of the Franklin County Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association (MAA), Kim Voss, B.S. Ed. ’87, won the ambassador challenge. These donations fueled the Mizzou Alumni Association Scholarship Challenge as the top MAA groups with the most gifts earned a prize unlocking an additional $1,000 for their scholarship funds.
With only a single donation separating two of the top finishers in the Scholarship Challenge, MAA decided to award $1,000 to both chapters' local scholarship funds. In particular, the Bates County Mizzou Club — Mizzou's smallest alumni chapter at 233 graduates — rallied an impressive 105 donors to their cause. The other four chapters with the highest number of gifts were the Boone County Chapter, the Franklin Country Chapter, the Great River Tigers (Hannibal/Quincy), and the Rocky Mountain Tigers (Denver).
Additional opportunities for giving were plentiful on social media including a signature challenge on Facebook. Mizzou’s Facebook account shared an album with one photo representing each area of campus participating in Giving Day, and Tigers had the opportunity to vote for the areas of campus they hoped to see earn bonus funds. Marching Mizzou’s photo finished with the most reactions (“likes,” “loves,” etc.) and received $1,500 for first place, the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment earned $1,000 for second place and University Libraries finished in third place for $500.
Donors stepped up to create eight matches and challenges to inspire others to support key areas across Mizzou, such as Children’s Hospital, the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, the Center for Energy Innovation, the Heartland Scholars Academy in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, the College of Engineering and the Mizzou Traditions Fund.
Advancement conducted a texting campaign with alumni and donors on Giving Day, where alumni and friends shared their most meaningful Mizzou memories and experiences:
"Simmons Field is named after my father, who for 37 years was head baseball coach, freshmen football coach and head football scout for Don Faurot's teams," said Robert Simmons, B.A. ’72, MBA ’76, whose mother, siblings, wife and children all worked for or graduated from the university as well. "We still follow and support the activities on campus through the Mizzou Alumni Association."
Matthew Gun, B.S.B.A. ’23, a Mizzou Esports team member when he was a student shared his reason for supporting Tiger pride:
"As a student, Mizzou Esports gave me a lot of professional and hands-on experience," said Gunn. "As the team's community lead, it was my job to reach out and encourage other student organizations to collaborate with us, and that experience has made me more capable in my work today."
This Giving Day, Tigers around the world answered the call to support what they love about Mizzou.
“We want to thank every Tiger who contributed to this year’s Mizzou Giving Day,” said Mun Choi, president of the University of Missouri. “Our community’s incredible generosity supports student success, impactful research, meaningful engagement and our championship goals that make an impact to each Missourian.”
