For us, Giving Tuesday marks an opportune time to bring our community together not only to celebrate philanthropy but also to reflect on our many connections throughout the school. New Hampton joined the movement in December 2015, replacing a year-end phonathon with a multi-faceted day of giving. What surprised us were the ways in which a collaborative effort to reach out to our community would bring us all together. From that first day, it has grown into a 24-hour experience known for heartfelt videos, thank you notes, alumni and parent volunteers, outreach, and a celebration of our community.
Giving Tuesday is a worldwide movement celebrating and supporting non-profits during a season known for gratitude and joy. The idea for the day formalized in 2012 by a group in New York City seeking to encourage people to do good, and as a reaction against the consumerism surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What started as a small movement soon went viral, and today this special day has its own widely recognized place in the holiday season.
Participation matters
This year, we have many of you to thank for the hundreds of volunteers and donors who made our New Hampton School Day of Giving a huge success! We received gifts from 559 donors and raised $71,623 in one day. We surpassed our goal of 500 donors to the Fund for New Hampton, beating last year’s record of 439 donors and making December 3rd the most broad-based, participatory giving day ever for Husky Nation.
More than the final total, our goal on these days of giving is centered on donor participation. Together, we accomplish so much more, and donations of any size help us in many ways. Not only does it show belief in the school’s mission, but it’s also a testament to the incredible connection that donors feel to their school. For alumni that may be due to a dedicated teacher, a favorite class or classmate. While for parents, they may be recognizing the possibilities our community has opened up for their students.
Faculty and staff alike are challenged each year to reach 100% participation. Combined with the participation numbers of parents and alumni, this helps support the school in grant proposals and other means of fundraising as it illustrates a community that believes in the work, time, and efforts they undergo each day.
Just like the school’s theme this year, our community is truly ‘all in’.
Constructing a day-long event
Between emails and social media pictures, there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes for an event of this size. Students volunteer during free time and between classes to make calls to alumni, while parents and alumni volunteer on- and off-campus to help make the day a success. By mid-morning, the Alumni Offices in Berry Hall witnessed more than 60 volunteers coming out to support the Day of Giving. Likewise, faculty and staff assisted by making calls, writing thank you notes, and donating gifts. From 8 am until late at night, visitors and volunteers ebb and flow from Berry Hall, lending an exciting atmosphere to the big day.
While the celebration reaches its peak when our goal is reached, the feeling of excitement our students receive in connecting with alumni is one of the best rewards. Some enthusiastic alumni keep students on the phone to ask about their activities, what dorm they live in, and what they love about New Hampton School, while also sharing their own stories. And for teachers and advisors who call their former students, the stories are even longer as they catch up on news and revisit memories. These are connections that give back in their own way, and we are so appreciative of these moments.
Everyday heroes
With another successful year behind us, we are grateful for all of the everyday heroes that made a gift in support of New Hampton School. Alumni. Students. Parents. Faculty. Staff. Donors. Our students learn more about the importance of giving back and they experience the fun of connection and support. And for many of you that are our donors, we are filled with gratitude for your continued passion and advocacy. Thank you, and we wish you all the happiest of holidays ahead.
