TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Supporters of Stillman College will have a unique opportunity to support specific campus initiatives during Stillman College’s Day of Giving, beginning Nov. 3.
After a successful 2020 campaign in which Stillman raised more than $50,000 through 250 gifts, the college hopes to clear that mark this year and fund a variety of student-focused projects across numerous schools, programs and organizations on campus.
Stillman’s online fundraising marathon (give1876.stillman.edu) begins Nov. 3 and lasts “1 day, 8 hour, 76 minutes of giving,” a nod to Stillman College’s founding year of 1876.
For instance, the School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Computational & Information Sciences seeks to raise $5,000 to send a multi-disciplinary student team to the HBCU Battle of the Brains in March 2022, which would mark Stillman’s debut in the nationwide event.
Isaac McCoy, dean of the School of Business, said the learning and networking opportunities at the competition are “incredibly enriching,” and also helps the College “provide touchpoints on how students can actualize what they’re learning.”
Other projects directly address barriers that, while not commonly considered in broader contexts of the costs of attendance, affect students with specific majors or post-graduation ambitions. The School of Education and School of Arts & Sciences aim to improve access to test-preparation materials for the PRAXIS certification test, and for prep resources for the GRE, LSAT and MCAT tests.
“Prep books can go a long way in preparing our students for not only those tests, but the rigors of each field when they graduate from Stillman,” said Dr. Norman Golar, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.
Other project areas include Stillman Athletics, scholarships, Stillman Choir, and the Blue Pride Marching Band, as well as fraternity and sorority fundraising challenges.
The Give1876 site also features an ambassador toolkit, complete with downloadable graphics and social media verbiage to help supporters share the word about Give1876.
During the active giving period, the site will feature a live “heat map” that illustrates the states with supporters who’ve given to the campaign, and a leaderboard, both of which are updated in real time.
“Stillman’s Day of Giving is a great opportunity for alumni of all ages to show their pride for Stillman College,” said Tyler Davidson, director of development at Stillman. “When we support the schools, programs, and causes that are meaningful to us, more Stillmanites turn their knowledge into action and change the world.”
