Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Davis

Title of entry: 6th Annual Gratitude Gala, “Harvesting Gratitude: A Leadership Lawn Party”

About this entry: UC Davis hosts an annual Gratitude Gala for our Leadership Giving Society (LGS) to honor and thank our most loyal, generous supporters and distinguished leaders who have cumulatively given $50,000 or more to any area university-wide. Every year, the gala is held at a different campus location with a unique theme to surprise and engage our donors. This premier event serves as an exclusive welcome each fall to the more than 2,600 members of our lifetime gift club.

This year brought a special challenge and an opportunity: Celebrating a true family reunion, a homecoming for all who had been kept away while campus had been operating remotely due to Covid-19. This was a night of joy as old friends caught up on a long, isolating year, giving donors the chance to explore the amazing work UC Davis is accomplishing, powered by philanthropy.

The gala consisted of four components: 1) a reception that featured experiential activities highlighting our campaign pillars and priorities, research, programs and creative projects; 2) a brief program highlighting how donors’ generosity have made UC Davis a rising, top-ranked public university, starring our chancellor, Foundation Board Chair and Vice Chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations; and 3) a custom picnic basket with charcuterie that guests could choose to take home or eat while mingling or at their small table; 4) a post-event video showing how the campus is powering back up.