Maryland’s 16 Community Colleges join Together for “The Big Give” Nov. 14
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Maryland’s 16 community colleges will join forces through a creative one-day online initiative Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, to raise money for scholarships, programs, facilities, and other projects. It will be the first effort of its kind nationwide as the institutions seek donations from stakeholders as they face scarce resources from county and state coffers.
“Our statewide goal for the day is to raise $160,000 and gain 1,600 new donors to community college foundations across Maryland,” said Kim Johnson, president of the Maryland Community College Fundraising Professionals, and assistant director of the Office of Institutional Advancement at Frederick Community College. “We are extremely excited about this initiative because of its potential to create more scholarships for students who need them.”
By sharing resources to promote the event and harness the power of social media, community college officials hope to expand their reach and support from alumni and new and current donors.
“While community colleges offer great academic value at a very affordable cost for families, we are seeing more and more students applying for financial aid,” said Hagerstown Community College President Dr. Guy Altieri. “It is encouraging to see the community colleges come together on this one day of giving that will greatly help students across Maryland.”
The community colleges will seek donations online through Razoo, a Washington, D.C.-based company that has helped thousands of nonprofits raise funds nationwide. The community colleges tapped Razoo in part because of its sophisticated online technology and low fee structure (98 percent of donations through The Big Give will go to the community colleges).
Each college will set up an online giving page at mdbiggive.razoo.com, and donors will have the opportunity to give to the school of their choice. The direct link for FCC's page is http://mdbiggive.razoo.com/story/Frederick-Community-College-Foundation. College fundraisers will also use Twitter (@16colleges) and other social media platforms to build awareness about the day.
One supporter of the event is the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. “Maryland's workforce is an essential factor in the state's success, and maintaining a highly skilled workforce is a key component to enhancing our economic competitiveness,” said Maryland Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Kathy Snyder CCE. "Our community colleges play a vital role in workforce development and I encourage Maryland business people to support their local community colleges during The Big Give on November 14.”
For more information about “The Big Give” contact Kim Johnson, 301.624.2713 or kjohnson@frederick.edu; Mike Pritchard, 301.846.2417 or mpritchard@frederick.edu; or Theresa Johnson, 301.934.7639 or tjohnson@csmd.edu.
