The College of Law on Wednesday surpassed the goal to raise $50,000 as part of a university-wide Big Orange Give fundraising campaign.
In one day, the college received $84,857 in donations – 170% of its goal.
Across the Knoxville campus, colleges and organizations strived to reach potential donors with the plea to raise $2.25 million in just 24 hours. The university surpassed that goal as well by 14% – raising $2.56 million.
Alumnus Rick Rose (’71, ‘74) matched the first $250 of each gift to the College of Law at two to one until $25,000 was raised.
Since 2013, Big Orange Give contributions have made an impact in areas all across campus, including student scholarships, key research, support for faculty, improvements to living and learning environments, and more.
This year’s target of $2.25 million coincided with the 225th anniversary of the institution. Funds raised during Big Orange Give will be used to help support a vibrant future for the state’s land-grant flagship university and all who benefit from it.
“Thanks to UT’s generous donors, Big Orange Give has been very successful in past years, which is why we’ve set an even more ambitious goal this year,” Director of Advancement for Annual Giving Lauren Herbstritt said in advance of the event. “We have several dollar-for-dollar matches in place this year, too. Gifts made during Big Orange Give could be matched up to $225, making an even bigger impact to the area of campus the donor chooses to support.”
Throughout the week, students across campus had the opportunity to participate in special events such as the Big Orange Give Class Cab, a “Donors are the Key to Success” game, and a live thermometer to track the campaign’s progress. Additionally, seniors were encouraged to give back through Senior Impact, donating a gift that reflects their graduation year—$20.19 for fall graduates and $20.20 for spring.
This story was edited on Nov. 15 to include information about dollar amounts raised.