In its fifth year, Birds Give Back shattered previous single-day giving records. Preliminary numbers show that Redbirds came together to raise $1,031,225 from 4,439 gifts. The previous record for individual gifts was 3,184, which was set during Birds Give Back’s third year.
“It was such an exciting day to be part of. You could feel the energy on campus and throughout the Redbird community,” said Jillian Nelson, senior director of annual giving. “The Birds Give Back buzz was contagious, and we really embraced the spirit of fun that has come to define Birds Give Back. I always say, there is no better day to make your gift to Illinois State. It just feels good to join so many amazing Redbirds to make your impact.”
This year’s Birds Give Back theme was “Everyone is a Philanthropist,” a message the Redbird community took to heart. Donors blew by the set goal of 3,000 individual gifts in 24 hours with nearly six hours to spare. To celebrate, Ed and Judy Hines challenged Redbirds to surpass the previous record, which would unlock a $100,000 gift to support the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Transformation Building Project. After that was hit, an anonymous donor stepped forward to offer a $6,000 gift to celebrate the 50th anniversary of TV-10 once 3,500 gifts were made.
Those late-day challenges were easily met by Redbirds, which was a theme throughout this year’s Birds Give Back. An initial social media share campaign supported by Diane Zosky ’80 was met before Birds Give Back was technically underway. Rod Sargeant ’65, ’67, Joseph ’99 and Shannon Fluder ’00, and Steve Smith ’89, ’93 stepped up throughout the day to unlock challenge dollars. These challenges supported various causes and initiatives across campus, such as scholarships for Redbirds, undergraduate and graduate student research support for the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, and new funding for the Department of English’s Publications Unit, respectively.
“To hear from faculty about how important each donation is to their program and their students is so motivating on Birds Give Back,” said Jessica Green, director of annual giving communications. “We want Birds Give Back donors to know how much they are appreciated and how much of an impact their investments have on a student’s life—whether it’s funding for research, support covering the cost of a student’s study abroad trip or Alternative Break experience, or supporting welcoming and inclusive spaces like the Multicultural Center—there are so many ways to make a difference in a Redbird’s life as they are on their journey towards their goals.”
The Division of Student Affairs led all units in donations with 709, while the College of Business was the biggest fundraiser with $223,105 raised. Birds Give Back is also about growing the donor base of other important programs on campus. The Department of English had four donors in 2022 and increased that mark to 58 in 2023, an increase of 1450%. The Department of Management and Quantitative Methods and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders also saw big donor increases of 500% and 378%, respectively.
Birds Give Back is a part of Redbird Philanthropy Week, which is also in its fifth year. The annual in-person event, held in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center on February 22, offered a variety of experiences to allow students to engage with philanthropy. Some ways to engage included philanthropy trivia, prizes, and fun opportunities to win money to donate to their favorite Redbird program. Students were also encouraged throughout the week to complete the online Redbird Philanthropy Quest challenge, which illustrates how the generosity of donors at Illinois State elevates the Redbird experience.
“Redbird Philanthropy Week had great student involvement this year,” said Christina Bryant, associate director of the Philanthropy Engagement Center. “This was my first time managing the Wednesday in-person event, and it was amazing to see the students become excited about philanthropy. We can’t wait for next year.”
After another successful year, Illinois State is already looking forward to what Redbirds can accomplish in 2024.
”This year, the Redbird community showed up in a big way,” Green said. “We are thrilled with the record-breaking number of individual gifts from students, alumni, parents, faculty, employees, and friends. Thank you to everyone who supports our Redbirds!”
