Gifts from alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of Wayne State University Law School helped the law school’s first-ever crowdfunding campaign for #GivingTuesday on Nov. 29 raise more than double the amount of its goal.
The crowdfunding campaign itself raised $17,460 from 124 donors. That’s 16.4% higher than the goal of $15,000. Thanks to matching gifts from three alumni, a second-year student and the interim dean, the law school raised a total of $34,710, or 131% more than the goal.
The money will create the #WayneLawGives scholarship fund, a need-based program that will be available to help students make up a gap not covered by their other scholarships or financial aid. For the third year in a row, Wayne Law has been recognized as a “Best Value Law School” by The National Jurist and preLaw magazine. However, most students still rely on scholarships and student loans to cover the cost of their tuition and fees.
“On behalf of Wayne Law and the students who will benefit from these scholarships, we thank all of our donors, matching gift sponsors and campaign directors,” said Interim Dean Lance Gable. “Their generosity will help us to attract the best and brightest students, help them to stay in law school and allow them to pursue the career of their dreams.”
Wayne Law’s campaign was part of the fifth annual global celebration #GivingTuesday to celebrate and encourage giving. Most gifts were made through the university’s WarriorFunder crowdfunding website for the daylong drive, with some gifts coming by phone or made via laptops set up at tables in the law school lobby.
Early donors helped the law school raise the required $5,000 (one-third of its goal) to launch the crowdfunding campaign.
Among the matching gift opportunities for donors were:
• Interim Dean Lance Gable personally matching any gifts received from faculty and staff up to $5,000.
• Sandy and Jay Colvin, both class of 1989, matching any gifts of $100 or more received from other alumni up to $5,000.
• An alumna giving $100 for every student who gave a gift in the amount of his or her graduation year (i.e. $20.17 for class of 2017). The same alumna also matched every alumni gift of $100 or more made
between 4 and 6 p.m. and between 8 and 9 p.m. on #GivingTuesday up to $1,500 in each timeslot.
• A second-year Wayne Law student personally matching every student gift in the amount of his or her graduation year (i.e. $20.18 for class of 2018) up to $1,000.
Wayne Law promoted the crowdfunding campaign through its website, social media, email and other channels. Twenty-two alumni, faculty, and students endorsed the campaign through video messages and
testimonial quotes. Other alumni, faculty, staff, and students served as ambassadors to promote the campaign.
“We’re thrilled at the awesome response we received on #GivingTuesday that helped us to shatter our goal,” said Desirnai’ Hicks, Wayne Law’s leadership annual giving officer and project director for the #WayneLawGives campaign.
“I’m thankful for each of the gifts Wayne Law received for our inaugural crowdfunding campaign.”
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