University Alumni and Friends Go All In to Raise Over $400K on Giving Day

Whit Pruitt

Faculty, staff and students celebrated the university's 146th birthday at the Arkansas Union on March 29 and thanked donors for their support. All in for Arkansas ended up raising $411,175 for initiatives across campus.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas’ second annual giving day, All in for Arkansas, promised to be bolder and bigger than the inaugural event last year and succeeded. The effort, which celebrated the 146th birthday of the university’s founding, raised $411,175 during a 1,871-minute period, March 29-30, more than doubling its original goal of $187,100. The duration of the event and original goal were both nods to the university’s founding year of 1871.

Chancellor Joe Steinmetz and his wife, Sandy, led the way with a gift of $25,000 for the new Advance Arkansas scholarship initiative, which aims to increase scholarship availability for Arkansans. Preliminary reports show an additional $130,479 was raised for Advance Arkansas during the giving day event, thanks to a participation challenge and dollar-for-dollar match made possible by the Steinmetzes’ generous contribution, bringing the total amount they have provided to support scholarships for Advance Arkansas to $100,000.

“I was very excited to see the excellent showing of support from our alumni and friends the past two days,” said Steinmetz. “There were hundreds of people who made an extra effort to make a $25 or $50 gift. Gifts like these helped make this effort an incredible success.”

Four gifts of $25,000 and above were received during the event. The largest, a gift for $125,000, was for a new Advance Arkansas scholarship.

“All of us together are what make Arkansas amazing, and I’m very moved by the outpouring of pride and generosity during this special event,” said Steinmetz. “Advance Arkansas is an important initiative to me and including it as a part of the All in for Arkansas effort was a perfect fit. Our goal was to raise awareness about the kick-off of this initiative and give our donors a chance to participate. I believe we succeeded.”

Participation was key to the success of All in for Arkansas. Thanks to the generosity of several alumni, faculty and staff, numerous challenges and dollar-for-dollar matches were issued throughout the day to encourage gifts of all sizes. Preliminary reports show 1,021 gifts were recorded during the virtual birthday celebration.

“All in for Arkansas continues to be an exciting, engaging way for our alumni and donors to give back to the university,” said Mark Power, vice chancellor for university advancement. “It builds momentum for Campaign Arkansas and reinforces to our donors that gifts of all sizes make a difference.

“I want to thank the 200-member-strong Social Media Ambassador team for inspiring such a remarkable outpouring of Razorback pride during All in for Arkansas. And each college, school and unit on campus should be congratulated for their participation in the event, as well. The dollars they’ve raised will directly impact students, faculty and programs that rely on private gift support throughout the year.”

In addition to the virtual celebration that took place throughout All in for Arkansas, the university also held a birthday bash for students, staff and faculty at the Arkansas Union. The event was hosted by the Student Alumni Association and included a special appearance and remarks by Miss America 2017, Savvy Shields.

For a complete recap of All in for Arkansas, visit allinforarkansas.uark.edu.

About Campaign Arkansas: Campaign Arkansas is the ongoing capital campaign for the University of Arkansas to raise private gift support for the university’s academic mission and other key priorities. The campaign’s goal is to raise $1 billion to support academic and need-based scholarships, technology enhancements, new and renovated facilities, undergraduate, graduate and faculty research, study abroad opportunities and other innovative programs. The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in a wide spectrum of disciplines as it works to fulfill its public land-grant mission to serve Arkansas and beyond as a partner, resource and catalyst.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.