Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Grand Valley State University

Title of entry: GVSU Student Philanthropy Week

About this entry: Student Philanthropy Week (SPW) at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is an annual initiative that engages student organizations in fundraising while fostering a culture of philanthropy on campus. The campaign has two key strategic goals:

1. Empowering student organizations to raise funds for areas they care about or for their groups through a crowdfunding campaign hosted on GiveCampus.
2. Educating students on philanthropy and encouraging involvement through interactive events.

Throughout the week, students participated in engaging activities:

1. Careers with a Cause, a virtual event in partnership with the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, introduced students to careers in nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
2. Seed Ball Creation with the Sustainable Agriculture Project offered a hands-on way to give back, as students made seed balls to be planted at the GVSU farm.
3. Thanks a Bunch Scavenger Hunt used Instagram clues to guide students in finding hidden items on campus, allowing them to direct donations to student funds.
4. Cash Cart, inspired by the Cash Cab game show, quizzed students on philanthropy, with winners earning money to donate to featured student organizations.

Student organizations received toolkits and training to maximize fundraising success, and donor-funded incentives created friendly competition. Now in its second year, SPW saw increased student participation, thanks to enhanced recruitment by the annual giving team. By combining peer-to-peer fundraising with gamified philanthropy, SPW fosters lasting engagement and impact. The campaign exceeded its goal of 150 donors, securing 292 donors and raising over $20,000 for campus funds, strengthening donor engagement and the philanthropic spirit at GVSU.