One Tribe One Day is April 13

April 7, 2021
by Claire De Lisle

Next Tuesday, April 13, is One Tribe One Day — William & Mary’s eighth annual celebration of giving back and paying it forward. 

This year, schools and programs throughout the university are hosting 20 virtual events to share updates, hear your ideas and provide opportunities for networking. These events will feature stories of impact, connect our community and invite participants to partner in the work being done across campus. Ranging from panels that highlight our diversity, equity and inclusion work to interactive open houses, yoga and cocktail making, these events are sure to offer something for everyone.

Tune in throughout the day to learn more about your favorite initiatives and hear stories of how private support makes a transformative difference for our students, faculty, staff and community. To find out more and to register for events, visit https://giving.wm.edu/fundraising/one-tribe-one-day/events/.

On campus, Students for University Advancement will have tables on the Sadler Terrace, where they will be passing out One Tribe One Day swag and helping members of the W&M community make gifts and register for virtual events. As a special treat for students, local favorite Sno-To-Go will be providing free flavored ice from 2-5 p.m. Enhanced safety measures and physical distancing will be in place as part of our Healthy Together Commitment. 

On One Tribe One Day, every gift of any size to any area of the university will count toward unlocking $600,000 in additional funding to support William & Mary’s most pressing needs. This is a chance for our whole community to make a difference and strengthen W&M.  Each one of us provides a critical piece to the dynamic puzzle that must come together to shape W&M’s future.

Milestone challenges, which unlock when certain numbers of donors are reached, were sponsored by a generous anonymous donor as well as Kevin Phillips ’84 and Mary Ruth Phillips ’85, Leanne Kurland ’75, P ’05 and Alex Kurland HON ’19, P ’05, and J. Goodenow “Goody” Tyler III HON ’11 and Mariel McLeod ’15. The final challenge, for $250,000, will unlock when 13,150 donors have made a gift, which would set a new record for number of donors for One Tribe One Day. 

Schools and units will also compete in the Gerdelman School & Unit Challenge to win “Most Donors,” “Most New Donors” and “Most Improved from Last Year” — awards that come with $15,000 in funding for their areas. One school or unit will receive an honorable mention and $5,000 for taking an innovative or unique approach to the day. The challenge is sponsored by Sue Hanna Gerdelman '76, P ’07, P ’13 and the late John Gerdelman ’75, L.H.D. ’19, P ’07, P ’13. 

There will also be two texting challenges, sponsored by Vice Rector Will Payne ’01, Andrea Rinaldi Wassmer ’94 and Michael Wassmer, which are unlocked when donors make gifts in response to text messages from W&M. A challenge sponsored by the Parent & Family Council will unlock additional support for the Parents Fund when 2,021 parents provide gifts. The Parents Fund supports student success initiatives at William & Mary and provides for the most urgent needs of our students.

Over the past seven years, 31,160 donors have supported over 1,000 areas on campus to raise $13.4 million on One Tribe One Day. Last year, more than 7,000 members of the W&M community came together for One Tribe One Day to focus on community and invest in change. Together, we raised $2.5 million in support of initiatives that will transform teaching and learning and accelerate positive change at William & Mary.

Here are just a few examples of the transformative impact of One Tribe One Day. Private support last year enabled the university to:

  • Provide additional scholarship support through the Scholarships Impact Fund, paving the way for outstanding students to reach their highest potential regardless of their financial background.
  • Begin construction on the Memorial to the Enslaved, which will serve as a powerful landmark of inclusion and a local hub for community building.
  • Enhance the First Year Experience, New Student Orientation, Find Your Experience and Form Your Experience programs to ensure that students find the resources they need each year on their path to graduation.
  • Ensure a safe and healthy living and learning environment during the pandemic by offsetting the cost of PPE and sanitizing supplies and space modifications.
  • Support programming for the W&M community on a wide array of topics between individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities to build understanding, civility and respect across differences.

Can we beat last year’s numbers to make an even bigger impact for the Alma Mater of the Nation?

All gifts made between 12:01 a.m. ET and 11:59 p.m. PT on April 13 will count toward this year’s total. Follow the day’s progress at wm.edu/otod and on social media using the hashtag #OneTribeOneDay. You can also update your Facebook profile photo, add a Facebook Frame , post photos on Instagram and stay active on Twitter and LinkedIn. Downloadable graphics and suggested posts are provided on the One Tribe One Day website.