One Tribe One Day: W&M's day of giving back is April 19

Mark your calendars because tomorrow William & Mary will be kicking off its third annual One Tribe One Day – the university’s official day of giving back and paying it forward.

On this day, the entire Tribe community will come together to support areas they are most passionate about and celebrate what makes the university so extraordinary.

This year, the university is aiming to shatter all previous One Tribe One Day fundraising records by pushing the boundaries even further. The 24-hour goal for the day is to reach 7,000 donors, up from a little more than 6,000 donors last year.

Building on last year’s historic success – which brought in more than $1.3 million in a single day – William & Mary is adding a significant number of One Tribe One Day events on campus and around the world.

Throughout the day, from Tokyo to San Francisco, alumni and friends will be provided with opportunities to band together and give back in an impactful way. Students, faculty and university staff will also be able to celebrate by participating in the One Tribe One Day carnival on the Sunken Garden between 4-7 p.m. During that time, there will be a petting zoo, life-size inflatable games and a food truck.

In addition, Students for University Advancement will have a table and photo booth set up at the Sadler Center Terrace for anyone on campus to ask questions, make a donation and take a fun photo with classmates or colleagues.

“With more than 40 regional and international events and campus activities occurring throughout the day, there will be no shortage of fun for everyone to get involved,” said Matthew T. Lambert ’99, vice president for university advancement. “It’s a day for the entire William & Mary community to show their Tribe pride by boldly supporting this important philanthropic endeavor. We broke our single-day fundraising record last year and we want to break it again in support of our students, faculty, and coaches.”

The university is also trying something new this year. William & Mary schools and units will be competing with each other for $50,000 in challenge prizes — which can only be unlocked by One Tribe One Day donors. Competitions like this help build excitement and energy, and create incentives for everyone to participate in the biggest giving day of the year, added Lambert.

The central rallying point for giving, information and social media is www.wm.edu/otod. In order to participate in the conversation online, the following hashtags will be utilized: #OneTribeOneDay, #TribePride and #WMAlumni.

“Participation on social media is key to making One Tribe One Day a success,” said Dan Frezza, assistant vice president for lifetime philanthropic engagement & annual giving. “Spreading the word about this 24-hour fundraising effort will have a profound impact – it will encourage more donors to get involved on an annual basis, which will in turn provide the university with the resources it needs to continue to offer a high-caliber education for generations to come.”

William & Mary has adopted an innovative approach to ensure sustained momentum for its annual giving philanthropic efforts. In fact, more than 700 class ambassadors are being mobilized to reach out to 10 of their classmates each and encourage them to give — a model only utilized by a small handful of top-tier universities. By the end of the fiscal year, the goal is to have 1,000 class ambassador volunteers who can serve as advocates on behalf of the university.

“Our message is simple – One Tribe One Day is a call to action for the entire Tribe community to be a part of William & Mary’s proud history and bold future,” continued Frezza. “By making a gift of any size – annually – you can make a difference in the lives of so many who call our beloved institution home.”