Haas Raises Record-Breaking $561,000 at Big Give

The Big Give, Berkeley’s first 24-hour campus-wide online fundraiser, was the biggest single-day fundraiser in Haas history. When it ended Nov. 20, Berkeley-Haas had raised about $561,000 from 651 donors.

Haas also won a special $1,500 prize during the competition for having the most student donors.

“Hundreds of alumni, students, staff, faculty, parents, and friends came together to maintain the excellence of the Haas School of Business,” says Michelle McClellan, assistant dean of Development and Alumni Relations at Haas. David Aaker

“It’s a great testament to our school and our community,” she says. “The total we raised didn’t come from one big gift, it was the combined effort of many people working together to keep Berkeley-Haas a top business school. We were thrilled by the number of gifts, tweets, and posts that came from our community throughout the day.”

Across Berkeley, Big Give donations reached $5.3 million.

UC Berkeley organized the Big Give to reach out to its 450,000 alumni worldwide—and bring those alumni, students, Cal parents, and friends together for one day of giving.

Preparations for the Big Give included a video and a social media campaign intended to go viral on Big Give day. Spreading the word at Haas, Dean Rich Lyons appeared on Facebook with “Big Innovation” and “Big Culture” cards. Haas Professor Emeritus David Aaker held a “Big Brand” card, and Haas Lecturer Steve Etter showcased a “Big Network” sign.

After the 9 p.m. PST Big Give kickoff on Nov. 19, donors from all over campus and around the world began posting Big Give selfies on Twitter and Facebook.

Different campus areas also competed for Big Give prizes.

The ten schools, programs, and giving areas with the greatest participation in Big Give won shares of $61,000. Undergraduate Education, Lawrence Hall of Science and the School of Optometry received $12,000, $9,000, and $5,000, respectively.

Competition prizes of $1,500 were awarded at scheduled times during the Big Give to eight campus groups, including Haas, the College of Engineering, (for the most number of international gifts), and the College of Letters and Sciences (for having the 117th Big Game donor).

 

 

Dean Lyons, (below) David Aaker
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