Tufts Giving Tuesday: ‘No Better Feeling’

Melanie Golden, A26, was excited when she scored a summer internship as a research assistant on a Parkinson's disease study at a medical center that serves veterans in Boston. A biopsychology major, she has her sights set on medical school.

Still, because the internship was unpaid, the cost of moving to Boston and living there could have been a deal breaker. Thankfully, the Career Center Summer Internship Grant Programhelped her meet those expenses. "I had never participated in research before this internship and am incredibly grateful I was introduced to it on this big of a scale," she said.

Funding support for unpaid summer internships is just one of many giving opportunities this #TuftsGivingTuesday. The annual fundraising event will fall on December 3, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and will raise awareness of important causes as it spotlights the generosity of the global Tufts community.

Last year, Tufts Giving Tuesday raised $4,008,426 from more than 9,000 people. It is a day that demonstrates the power that collective giving can have on all facets of life at Tufts-from supporting students by giving to financial aid, to supporting their experiences on Tufts' campuses-clubs, sports, research, academic departments.

This year's motto-"With you, we will"-gives impetus to the Tufts Giving Tuesday message that participation is a key benchmark of success. Each and every gift, no matter the size, is welcome, and with more than 75 challenges on offer, each gift's impact can be magnified when a donor helps secure matches or challenges.

Staff planning the day, as always, are counting on the community to rally giving. Social media tools, vital to promoting a sense of community, are expanded this year with a new Instagram account dedicated to Tufts alumni, @tufts_alumni. Supporters are encouraged to share the campaignon social media by using the hashtag #TuftsGivingTuesday.

Across all Tufts' campuses, students and staff also will be promoting Giving Tuesday. On the Medford/Somerville campus student groups will be engaging with peers all day at the Mayer Campus Center, Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, the Science and Engineering Complex, and Joyce Cummings Center.

Sarah Tralins, A14, chair of the Development Committee of the Tufts Alumni Council, is among the alumni volunteers who will spur participation through upbeat outreach to peers and classmates via texts, emails, and social media posts. She said the strategy "always helps raise awareness and drive participation."

As for her pitch about why to give?

"Giving Tuesday is a day when you can make a very real impact for the Tufts community," she said. "To me, it's about saying thank you for the opportunities I had at Tufts and contributing to the community efforts of paying that forward."

The beauty of Tufts Giving Tuesday, she added, is how over just 24 hours, those impacts-and good feelings-are amplified.

"I am always excited when those first gifts come in," she said. "I know that by the end of the day, we will have achieved something meaningful. There's no better feeling than knowing that each of us, in our own way, extended a helping hand to Tufts and its students."

It is easy to be part of Tufts Giving Tuesday. The #TuftsGivingTuesday website allows donors to make a general contribution, support specific matches and challenges, or give to their own favorite area at Tufts.

Among the areas donors can support are Tufts' nine identity and support centersand programs that aid students professionally and personally throughout their time at Tufts.

Donors also can help students who may be the first in their family to attend college, or who come from an under-resourced high school, by contributing to support the FIRST Resource Center. Other opportunities include Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts (BEST) and Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts(BLAST).

Financial aid remains a top priority as well. This year, a group of alumni and parent challenge donors have set their sights on setting a new #TuftsGivingTuesday record for gifts to undergraduate aid with their Make It a Million Match. The campaign will offer a 3:1 challenge and aims to raise $250,000, which will be matched to raise a grand total of $1 million.

"I'm honored to be one of the almost two dozen alumni and parents who are spearheading the Make It a Million Match," said Paul Ferrarese, A89, a first-time #TuftsGivingTuesday challenge donor.

"Financial aid has a transformational impact for students for whom a Tufts education would otherwise be out of economic reach," he said. "This match is a tremendous opportunity for the larger Jumbo community-a way for us to all show up and magnify our giving."

Christina Economos, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, also has stepped up to inspire giving with a 1:1 match for general financial aid for the Friedman School.

"Tufts Giving Tuesday has become a favorite tradition and a time for the Friedman School community to come together to make a meaningful impact," she said. "I'm happy to be a challenge donor for financial aid because increasing access and making our offerings more equitable is something I truly care about.

"Financial aid opens doors for talented individuals from all backgrounds to pursue a transformative education. I hope my commitment inspires others to join us in creating a diverse community of future nutrition leaders who are ready to tackle complex global challenges."

Interested in supporting your favorite cause on #TuftsGivingTuesday? Go onlineto learn more, sign up to be an advocate, and share on social media.