School raises $113K+ during University's GiveUNC campaign

UNC School of Social Work raised more than $113,000 during the University’s GiveUNC campaign this year, setting a School record for donations since the annual day of giving first launched five years ago. In addition, this year’s contributions exceeded the total amount collected from all of the previous GiveUNC campaign years combined, noted Kandace Farrar, the School’s associate dean for development.

“Even with that success and our record-breaking total of $113k, I am prouder of our participation numbers,” Farrar said. “They convey a tremendous vote of confidence in our School.”

Over the course of 24 hours, the School of Social Work received 112 gifts from donors from all over the country, earning the School a 7^th place finish in total dollars raised in comparison to other campuswide schools, departments, and programs participating in the campaign.

UNC Social Work Pioneer Hortense McClinton sits in front a residence hall on campus renamed in her honor. — Hortense McClinton, poses for a portrait outside the residence hall that now bears her name following a Building Dedication Ceremony held at the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. May 13, 2022
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Alumni, faculty, staff, students, friends, and others participated in this year’s giving day and designated much of the funding to the Hortense McClinton Legacy Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was established last year to honor McClinton, a social work trailblazer and UNC’s first Black faculty member.

Donors also designated gifts for student mental health, other scholarships, and the Tiny Homes Village project. The project is a collaborative initiative between the School of Social Work, UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health (part of the UNC School of Medicine), and the nonprofit organization Cross Disability Services to construct 15 houses of about 400-square-feet each for people with mental illnesses and veterans with disabilities in Chatham County, North Carolina.

Overall, the fundraising day was largely successful thanks to two challenge gifts: one from Distinguished Alumna Marci White, BA ’74, MSW ’78, who offered to donate $20,000 to the School, provided that fellow alumni donated at least 20 gifts of any size. UNC alumnus Marc Abbey ’87, and his wife Kristen also offered a challenge gift of $20,000 once 20 donors made a gift of $100 or more to the School of Social Work.

Without out a doubt, those generous gifts inspired others to contribute as well, including many first-time donors, Farrar noted.

“Even current students gave,” she said. “I can’t emphasize enough how much that means. We are creating a culture of philanthropy, a culture of investing in one another.”