On November 14 and 15, 2015, Plymouth State University hosted its first giving challenge, #PanthersGiveBack. Alumni couple Wally ’62 and Meredith (Bristow) Stevens ’62 made a generous gift and set the goal: If, in 2 days, 240 alumni stepped forward with an Annual Fund gift to any area of the University, the Stevenses would make a $10,000 gift to support undergraduate student scholarships.
In less than 24 hours, more than 275 alumni donors had stepped forward. “We feel a debt of gratitude to Plymouth State for the lives we have been fortunate to lead,” said Wally Stevens. “We hoped that alumni would take part in this historic challenge and we were overwhelmed by the response.”
The momentum sparked a new challenge from members of PSU’s President’s Council, including Patti Biederman ’76, Larry Haynes ’86, and Dave Poulin ’84. If 360 alumni made donations by midnight on the 15th, the group would give an additional $5,000 to The Fund for Plymouth State, which provides critical support for the University’s core programs, such as financial aid, faculty development, and research and library resources.
That goal was achieved by 5 p.m. and the gifts kept coming.
At the end of the 48-hour period, 431 alumni had given, and 142 were first-time donors. One alumni donor noted, “I am a better person for having attended Plymouth State. The lessons I learned have extended far beyond the classroom; lessons in service, leadership, and friendship. I made some of the best friends of my life, and grew as a person in ways that I never would have thought were possible. I wouldn’t trade these experiences or lessons for anything.”
The University promoted the #PanthersGiveBack Challenge through a combination of e-mail, social media, video, and phone calls made by Annual Fund Student Fundraisers.
According to Annual Fund Director Sam Wisel ’12, “Our campus community is grateful for the generous response. This demonstrates how much alumni love this University and how appreciative they are of their Plymouth State experience. It makes a difference.”
Learn more about how your Annual Fund gift makes a difference and become an Annual Fund donor today!
Tags: annual fund Annual Fund Giving Challenge Dave Poulin Larry Haynes Meredith Stevens PanthersGiveBack Patti Biederman President's Council Sam Wisel Wally Stevens
