UB Giving Day
Thomas McArthur and Kara O'Neil from University Advancement with Ben Fabian, LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association president.
UB Giving Day, the University's largest 24-hour fundraising event, is an opportunity to support the LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association.
2023 Giving Day Challenge
On UB Giving Day, April 19, 2023, the LGBTQ FSA was challenged to reach 60 donors of any amount to unlock a $3,000 gift. This generous opportunity was completely organized and funded by staff colleagues in University Advancement showing up to support LGBTQ+ UB employees and the mission of the association.
After a record-breaking 24-hour period, the LGBTQ FSA raised a total of $11,195 from 183 donors - making the FSA the fourth-most supported area on Giving Day behind the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Management and Athletics.
UB Giving Day 2023 was the most successful fundraising and engaging campaign in LGBTQ FSA history.
“This challenge was in reaction to the anti-trans speaker on campus this year, and also to the larger pattern of anti-trans and anti-queer violence and oppression that we are seeing across the country, like bans on books, drag performances, gender-affirming health care, and so much more,” said Kara O'Neil, prospect research analyst in University Advancement who organized the challenge. “These kind of policies and rhetoric are extremely dangerous, and that is not the kind of society I want to live in, or want my friends and family to live in. We all have a responsibility to take a stand against oppression.”
UB Giving Day 2023 Toolkit
How Can You Help?
- Donate on April 19. A donation of any amount will help unlock the $3,000 challenge. On April 19 starting at noon, visit: ubgivingday.buffalo.edu.
- Spread the word! Share a message with your colleagues, friends or folks who may be interested. Graphics below are options to share on social media.
Suggested Posts
- “I’m supporting the LGBTQ FSA on #UBGivingDay because I want to help shape the future for UB, the queer students who study here, and the LGBTQ+ people who work and teach here. Give to ubgivingday.buffalo.edu in a way that’s meaningful for you too!”
- “LGBTQ+ people, especially trans and gender nonconforming folks, are integral and vibrant members of our UB community! On #UBGivingDay I’m dedicating my support to the LGBTQ FSA, faculty and staff committed to making UB a great place for every queer person. Join me at: ubgivingday.buffalo.edu.”
- “When 60 donors make gifts of any amount to the LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association on #UBGivingDay, University Advancement staff will contribute $3,000 to the same fund! Join me in helping the LGBTQ FSA reach this challenge at ubgivingday.buffalo.edu.”
- “I love my professional home at UB and it’s been an especially difficult semester for my LGBTQ+ co-workers and students. On #UBGivingDay I am supporting the LGBTQ FSA, my faculty and staff colleagues who I am proud to work with every day. Will you join me at ubgivingday.buffalo.edu and contribute too?”
- "LGBTQ+ students at UB need more. I'm giving $1 to the LGBTQ FSA today as a sign of support for their advocacy on behalf of queer students, faculty and staff. Visit ubgivingday.buffalo.edu and give $1 too!"
- Or, don’t be afraid to be creative and personal!
Talking Points
- Why give to the LGBTQ FSA? The LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association is a group of UB employees organized together to make UB a welcoming and inclusive place for all LGBTQ+ people. A gift today will be used to help further the mission of the FSA, including benefitting the student recipients of the Pride Scholarship, supporting advocacy for the creation of a LGBTQ resource center on campus, and more.
- Why give today? UB Giving Day is a 24-hour, community-driven fundraising challenge to support critical needs and deliver big opportunities that make the UB experience everything it is and everything it can be. If the LGBTQ FSA reaches 60 donors of any amount, University Advancement staff will unlock an additional $3,000 donation! The only funds that sustain the FSA are from membership dues and fundraising initiatives like UB Giving Day. Additionally, unlocking a $3,000 challenge would be the largest donation the LGBTQ FSA has ever received!
- Does the amount matter? No. Donating as little as $1 will help the LGBTQ FSA engage a minumim of 60 donors to unlock a $3,000 challenge! Every donor is a sign of support for more LGBTQ+ campus resources for students, faculty and staff.
