ALL DAY CELEBRATION: Calvert Hall’s 2021 All Day Hall Day featured both in- person and online events, such as a cooking demonstration, baseball game, chats with alumni, and more.

Credit: Calvert Hall School

Calvert Hall School’s giving day is called “All Day Hall Day”—and when The Hall says “all day,” they mean it.

All Day Hall Day offers 24 hours of activities and giving opportunities for the Towson, Maryland, U.S., Catholic high school’s alumni and friends.

Held annually since 2015 on the school’s May 14 founder’s day, the 2021 festivities kicked off with a fireside chat with alumni at midnight. Though the 2020 day was completely virtual, 2021’s lineup included both in-person activities (a food truck block party, soccer tournament, and Mass) and online ones (a cooking demonstration and a streaming dance party).

“We have alumni all over the world, so we wanted to make sure there was something for everyone,” says Danielle Hladky, director of communications and marketing.

The day concluded with a 7 p.m. varsity baseball game and an online wrap-up at 11:30 p.m. with Joseph Baker, chief advancement officer. Throughout the day, the Calvert Hall team built giving challenges and power hours to spark participation—as Baker says: “You can’t underestimate the power of people having fun.” For alumni who graduated in the last 15 years, there is the Lord Calvert Cup, a giving competition led by class ambassadors. (Reigning champions? The class of 2006.)

Beyond planning fun activities, here are Hladky and Baker’s tips for an all-day giving day:

Make it a full day of celebration. “If you say you’re doing a day of giving, and it’s only from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., that’s not a day of giving,” Baker says.

Stay authentic. “Be true to the organization and your audience. Our audience thrives on celebrating, because that’s a big part of who we are,” says Hladky.

Thank donors quickly. Calvert Hall’s advancement team gets an email every time a gift is made on giving day so staff can reach out immediately to say thank you. Baker says donors appreciate that—and will remember that gratitude next year.