#250Bees2Day: New Goal of Participation

With a new focus on numbers of donors rather than dollars, St. Ambrose University will host its fifth annual Day of Giving on April 24.

#250Bees2Day is a day-long effort that will encourage alumni to give back to St. Ambrose.

Why 250 Bees? 

"The focus for this year's event is making a gift that shows a vote of confidence from our alumni. I don't think our alumni participation rate accurately reflects how our alums value their degree", said Margaret Babbitt, director of the Ambrose Annual Fund. 

She said adding new alumni donors can enhance that degree's value because alumni giving factors into national rankings. The idea is to drive alumni participation and also to encourage student philanthropy, in any amount.

"Your gift does not need to be $1,000 which is what a lot of people think," Babbitt said. "Some can give that. Some can give $100. For others, $10 is fine. It's the number of donors this year, not dollars." 

Since the target goal is participation, after donors give a gift, they are encouraged to enlist social media to encourage others to participate and show appreciation for the school. "A big motivation this year is a $25,000 challenge — every gift will receive a $100 match," said Babbitt.

There are other incentives on the day including a new style of bee socks for alumni that give a gift of $25 and for students that give a gift of $10. The socks are a way to say thank you, show school pride, and remember the experiences made.

Student fundraising efforts will be led by a senior leadership team that has worked with the Advancement and Alumni Engagement office all year to engage the students and act as ambassadors on the #250Bees2Day. 

"The leadership team began a few years ago as a way to educate students on the role of the advancement office, encourage philanthropy, and figure out what excites students so that we know how to engage our future young alumni population," Babbitt said. "Supporting annual giving is a way for current students to consider giving now or in the future after they graduate."