From the Nominator

"Do You Know About Giving Day?" is a social-first video produced to promote UMD’s annual giving day, aimed at engaging and educating students about this tradition. Our team emphasized the breadth of funds available for contributions and personalized the giving experience. We sought to build a connection between students and giving day through awareness. To excite students, we adopted a "show, don't tell" approach by hiring a recent graduate and campus improv leader to quiz students about giving day. Over two days, dozens of students participated, received UMD swag, and 10 were informed that a donor pledged $100 to their chosen cause, creating a strong personal connection. The video was shared across UMD’s social media and via email blasts to alumni, students, faculty, staff, and internal stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of contributions from all community members. The primary audience was UMD students and recent alumni. The goal was to highlight the collective impact of donations of all sizes, reinforcing the "fearlessly forward" brand messaging and presidential priorities, while motivating increased participation across campus units. The video showcased the significance of every gift, supporting scholarships, programs, initiatives, and infrastructure, while educating students on the tradition's history in an entertaining way. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with over 315,000 views (nearly a threefold increase from 2024). The campaign raised $5.3 million (an increase of $1 million from 2024), including 6,540 donations under $50.

From the Judges

This video is informative, engaging, and educational about the numerous giving opportunities for UMD's donors.