ISSUED: 22 November 2016
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University is launching a beefed-up Giving Tuesday campaign this year in the hope more alumni and friends of the university will donate and become involved. Giving Tuesday, which is on November 29 this year, is an international movement that started in 2012 to encourage the public to give back to kick off the holiday giving season.
“Shepherd University is reaching out to all our friends and alumni to ask them to reengage with the university this holiday season,” said Stacy McFarland, director of the President’s Club and special/annual giving. “The campus offers an active and vibrant culture and we are hoping for community support, whether it be time or monetary resources.”
McFarland has planned a day-long social media campaign that will highlight some of the university’s programs and opportunities. McFarland said each hour between 8 a.m.-10 p.m. social media posts will go out highlighting 13 programs such as nursing, music, Washington Gateway, student organizations, Appalachian Studies, business, and athletics.
McFarland said one of Giving Tuesday’s goals is to not only raise money, but to remind the public of the importance of giving back in other ways, like volunteering.
“All nonprofits really need the support of the community in order to thrive, both time and talent,” McFarland said. “We could also use volunteers across campus to make other programs, like the restoration of Popodicon, successful.”
Shepherd has set up a special Giving Tuesday webpage that encourages everyone to monitor social media that day and like, share, and tweet using the hashtags #ShepherdGives and #GivingTuesday; donate to a school or department at Shepherd that has impacted their lives; and to encourage family and friends to participate.
McFarland said participants can donate money to a particular department if they want to through a drop down menu on Shepherd’s giving page. Donations that aren’t designated for a specific area will go into the Shepherd Fund, which provides sustaining support for academic, scholarship, cultural, and athletic programs; faculty and staff development; campus renewal and beautification; and other department programs and initiatives.
“In this economy in West Virginia, Shepherd needs the support of this fund to maintain the almost $60,000 in commitments it contributes to every year,” McFarland said.
For more information, contact McFarland at 304-876-5526 or at smfarla@shepherd.edu. To participate in Giving Tuesday, visit www.shepherd.edu/givingtuesday on November 29.
— 30 —
