Student Experience
Giving Day celebrates 10 years
UC Santa Cruz’s 24-hour fundraising event returns Nov. 5
For a decade, thousands of Slugs and their supporters have united to support scholarships, groundbreaking research, student clubs, athletics teams, resource centers, and more.
Key takeaways
- The 10th annual Giving Day kicks off on Nov. 5
- Last year’s Giving Day saw a record number of donors—6,000-plus—and raised more than $1.3 million.
Giving Day, UC Santa Cruz’s 24-hour fundraising event, returns Nov. 5 and is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
For a decade, thousands of Slugs and their supporters have united to support scholarships, groundbreaking research, student clubs, athletics teams, resource centers, and more. Over the past 10 years of Giving Day, more than $7 million has been raised. Every gift, big or small, adds up to create lasting change and transform the student experience.
The 10th annual Giving Day will host more than 200 project teams, 15 challenges, and is poised to amplify and support thousands of students. Last year’s Giving Day saw a record number of donors—6,000-plus—and raised more than $1.3 million.
“For 10 years, UC Santa Cruz Giving Day has embodied the remarkable generosity of our community,” said Chancellor Cynthia Larive. “It’s so impressive what we were able to raise last year. Student needs are even greater this year, but I’m confident we’ll be able to build on the momentum we’ve established. Giving Day has been a real game-changer in our student-success efforts.”
UC Santa Cruz Director of Annual Giving Jenna Hurley (Cowell ’13, psychology) helped organize UCSC’s first Giving Day in 2016. Reflecting on the campaign’s 10th year, Hurley emphasized the positive impact the 24-hour event has on students.
“It’s deeply meaningful to see how Giving Day has grown and inspired the UC Santa Cruz community over the past decade,” she said. “This event is about providing students with the resources and opportunities that shape their futures.”
In 2024, Formula Slug—UC Santa Cruz’s student-run, competitive electric vehicle team—saw the largest number of donors during Giving Day with a record-breaking 700+ donors, raised the most money at nearly $41,000, and took home five challenge wins. The success of their Giving Day campaign allowed the 2024 Formula Slug team to purchase an aerodynamics package for their competitive vehicle, something that was previously not in the cards for the organization that year.
“We are feeling so incredibly grateful for every one of our supporters, and are also extremely proud of our team and community,” said Formula Slug Co-Captain Ari Jonson (College Nine ’26, film and digital media) following Giving Day 2024. “The support that we were shown on Giving Day means our people want to see us succeed, which has opened up so many doors that were previously closed to us.”
Students, faculty, staff, parents, friends, and alumni are encouraged to support UC Santa Cruz during the 24-hour online crowdfunding contest. Time-based challenges award prizes to teams for the most donors, the best social media presence, the most compelling videos, and more. Giving Day donors also compete with one another to propel their favorite projects into first place during these challenges, or they might see their gifts doubled by generous donors offering matching funds.
Giving Day kicks off at midnight on Nov. 5, and runs through to 11:59 p.m. The Giving Day website will provide up-to-the-moment tallies. Donations can be made via Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo, Paypal, or credit card.
For more information about UCSC’s Giving Day 2024, visit the Giving Day website or email giving@ucsc.edu.