From the Nominator

For 60 years, UC San Diego has paved a new path: one founded on challenging expectations, engaging in experimentation, and taking risks. So when COVID-19 shut down our university, our nation and our world in March, we were prepared to find innovative new ways to move forward: from pivoting to virtual instruction to pursuing novel public health approaches. 

And our community rose to the challenge as well: Gifts to supply personal protective equipment for frontline health care workers; expand on-campus testing capacity; improve student access to food, housing and other resources; and advance COVID-19 research allowed us to develop a comprehensive response to the pandemic. In total, our philanthropic partners contributed $5.9 million to our coronavirus relief efforts as of Dec. 15, 2020. 

To communicate the impact of our donors' generosity, we developed a digital impact report to show the wide range of efforts UC San Diego was pursuing in response to COVID-19, one that could be shared easily via email, social media, WeChat (for Chinese donors), or text with donors who were scattered across the globe. 

Produced and distributed in August 2020, the final comprehensive impact report covered gifts in four broad categories: transitioning to remote learning, supporting our community’s health, exploring novel solutions, and investigating what’s next. Each section included an overview of our efforts in that arena, statements from members of our community, and a summary of significant gifts. The digital format also allowed us to link to additional news articles and other information.

From the Judges

The design of this entry offers a fine selection of content in an accessible and engaging manner. The last two pages leave the reader excited for what is to come, and to be a part of the community. Information was well-distilled for the reader, and there was a good balance between blank space, color, and text and photographs. The publication shines a light on a difficult year with a measured tone, instilling a sense of confidence for the reader