What a Difference a Day Makes

“One Day for DU is just one of many ways that everyone at and of DU is engaged, energetic and eager to be a part of this mission.” – Chancellor Rebecca Chopp

A lot can happen in 24 hours, especially if it’s One Day for DU, the University’s annual day of giving. On May 23, 2,900 alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends raised $509,409 for over 200 meaningful causes that impact DU students and the wider community. Thousands of dollars in matching gifts and challenge grants were leveraged to maximize giving throughout the day, including a matching gift for every varsity sport and a matching gift for the Pioneer Leadership Program made possible by a group of 13 friends and alumni of the program. An increased campus presence engaged students with all-day events, from a pancake bar to a food donation drive to a corral of food trucks co-hosted by the DU Programming Board. Owners of the 33 crowdfunding initiatives were on hand to talk about their projects. Pioneers from around the world learned about projects and made gifts by smartphone and through the website (du.edu/oneday). Here is a selection of stories that celebrate the impact of collective giving. Thank you for making a difference!

The Bridge Project’s STEM Programs

51 Donors
$3,423 raised

Tackling real-world problems by using the engineering design process, creativity and collaboration is exactly what The Bridge Project’s STEM programming is all about. Through this initiative, youth in grades K-8 located in Denver’s public housing communities gain access to project-based learning through a curriculum that focuses on coding, robotics and math.

“Highlighting programs like The Bridge Project through One Day for DU allowed us to share this impactful community initiative with the broader DU community. We saw exciting success, as this year nearly 50 percent of donations to support Bridge’s crowdfunding project were new donors, including students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members. The generous support received on One Day sustains our project-based activities in science, technology, engineering and math, giving youth the creative thinking tools to tackle real-world problems.” – Amanda Moore McBride, Morris Endowed Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Social Work

The Student Emergency Fund

114 Donors
$7,748 raised

Launched by DU students, this fund helps peers stay on track for academic success by providing emergency funding to address unforeseen financial hardships and assist with essential costs not covered by other programs. The Student Emergency Fund has awarded $14,225 to 29 undergraduate and graduate students across college disciplines.

“It has been amazing to see how much fellow students care about one another. Everyone needs help sometime in their life; I am so proud that we have the privilege of educating students that actively seek to be a part of the solution for others.” – Liliana Rodriguez, Vice Chancellor for Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence

Right Foot Forward

39 Donors
$3,510 raised

Right Foot Forward provides student veterans with professional resources and guidance to prepare them to embrace and advance their careers. The program matches student veterans with industry professionals based on their career aspirations. Upon completion of the program, each student veteran receives a custom-fitted suit from Brooks Brothers provided by the University of Denver’s Veterans Services.

“The funds raised from One Day for DU this year will pay for another three years of suits for our student veterans.”
– Damon Vine, Director, Veteran Service