Grateful Gator Day
Gainesville, Fla. – The University of Florida wants alumni to feel the love from miles away, and for years post-grad.
Students and staff congregated at the Plaza of the Americas to celebrate Grateful Gator Day Oct. 5. Swarms of people lined up for pizza, donuts and to write thank-you cards to alums who have donated money to the university.
Behind the crowd stands the Director of Donor Engagement at UF, Megan Christopherson. Her job is to orchestrate events that show appreciation to UF’s donors and to make sure that there is a continuous flow of money coming into the school’s checking account.
“There is a dual purpose,” said Christopherson about Grateful Gator Day.” We are thanking donors but also educating students on the importance of philanthropy.”
There is a substantial amount of student involvement in planning and executing the event. At each station,a group of students in coordinating blue shirts helped pass out food and collect written letters to alum.
“We want to show alums that we are not just asking for money, and that we are truly grateful for their involvement,” said UF junior Mary Beth Gamson regarding her involvement in the event.
Gamson feels a calling to the philanthropic aspect of fundraising for the university. After her shift at Grateful Gator Day she headed over to her job at the University of Florida Foundation, which facilitates relationships between students and alumni through fundraising. She spends her shift making calls to alumni asking for donations.
The University of Florida Foundation and the UF Call Center have become huge money-makers for the university. More than 84,000 alumni made donations to UF in 2022, and the foundation rakes in a few million in fundraising each fiscal year.
Sharrece White, the engagement center’s director, distributed a special Grateful Gator Day script to her staff Oct. 5.
“We encourage our students to build rapport, and to create conversations with alumni,” said White. , “We want them to know we appreciate them.”
Alums can feel the love from miles away. They get emails, yearly phone calls, and texts thanking them for donations and encouraging them to donate more.
Dawn McDonald, a 1991 gator grad, subscribes to the Gator Family Newsletter, which alerts her of all the events occurring on campus for both grads and the families of current students.
McDonald says, “I typically receive one or two phone calls a year from a student who gives a little update about the school, and then asks for financial contribution.”
Even 32 years after graduating, she makes an effort to visit at least once a year. She feels deeply connected to the university’s culture and campus life.
This method of donor involvement is one of the most essential ways to collect donations. Fostering a relationship that goes beyond money makes interactions between alumni and students feel more genuine.
“It’s a continuous cycle of making sure alumni and donors are aware of things that are going on here on campus to make sure they are feeling a connection,” says Christopherson.
Sources
Megan Christopherson
Mary Beth Gamson
Sharrece White
Additional Sources:
Grateful gator day. Grateful Gator Day - Students. (n.d.). https://connect.ufalumni.ufl.edu/students/events/new-item
For UF, another year of record-breaking generosity. University of Florida Advancement. (2021, July 29). https://www.uff.ufl.edu/your-impact/for-uf-another-year-of-record-breaking-generosity/
