The BSM Development Department is stepping outside the box of standard “fundraising” ideas with their second annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour period of time dedicated to raising awareness and financial support for current students.

“We wanted to have an entire day that involved contacting parents and alumni to help raise funds to be given to be able to advance various outlets in BSM, such as the Athletic Programs, our various student activities and even being able to start new curriculums in our classrooms,”Associate Director of Alumni Relations Rachel Kuzma-Olson said.

This is the second year that the Day of Giving has been used as a tool for fundraising, and the reason it is happening again this year is because of its significant success in achieving the “gift” goal. “Last year we had a goal of 400 gifts, and we achieved it with flying colors, coming in at around 411 gifts. We felt that we could do it again, but make it an even bigger success with a goal of 500 gifts,” Kuzma-Olson said.

Kuzma-Olson and the Development Department felt that creating a fun, full-day event would be the best way to get in touch with multiple donors and raise awareness at the same time. “We saw that other schools and groups were using this ‘24-hour blitz’-type event, and [BSM] had never done anything like that before, so we decided to implement it last year. Even with the success in gifts, we found that people had fun rallying behind the short time frame and made it an even larger event,” Kuzma-Olson said.

The event is also used to create a buzz around BSM, not just to raise money. The department is utilizing social media and the BSM website to inform people about what they are trying to accomplish. “We have a Facebook page that we will be using to update, and we will also be updating a Twitter page as we get donations. We also have a website set up that has a thermometer tracker on it, so people can go on and check what progress we’ve made,” Kuzma-Olson said. The department will also be sending postcards as save-the-dates.

Though this is the second year the event will run, this year is unique in that, due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, each gift given will be doubled in value, making the gifts even more useful and special. “We are so thankful for the donor who made it possible to add so much to our event, and make it an even bigger success in the end due to the increase in value,” Kuzma-Olson said.

This “advancement initiative” is not only already an ongoing basis to raise funds, but it’s also just a way to raise awareness for how much BSM cares about its students, parents, and alumni. “We hope that it is a success, and can give the funds to advance programs at BSM, or even implement new programs so students can have the most opportunity possible,” said Kuzma-Olson.

The event is happening for a 24-hour period from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm on June 4th, 2015.