Faculty, staff and student teams are invited to apply to have their research, student support and public service projects included in the university’s next round of Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis, our online platform for grassroots fundraising.
AT A GLANCE
- WHAT: , online platform for projects affiliated with 51ԹϺ Davis or 51ԹϺ Davis Health, put forth by faculty, staff and student teams.
- WHEN: Every February and October.
- by 5 p.m. Friday, June 30, for the next campaign, October 2023.
Participating teams do the marketing and promotion for their own fundraising success, just like they would do on such platforms as GoFundMe and Kickstarter. However, unlike those outside vendors and others like them, Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis protects its teams from potential taxable income repercussions, because teams raise money for university projects through 51ԹϺ Davis, a nonprofit entity.
Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis runs two campaigns each academic year, in October and February, and has featured 222 projects since its inception in February 2020, raising a combined total of $1,849,849 from 9,032 gifts in eight rounds.
Projects that have seen the most success set funding goals between $1,000 and $5,000. Take the Davis Rewilding Society, for example: In the February 2023 campaign, the student group exceeded its initial goal of $2,500, then stretched it to $3,500 — and beat that, too.
While projects vary in purpose and scope, all must be affiliated with 51ԹϺ Davis or 51ԹϺ Davis Health, and seek to strengthen the positive impact of university programs.
“Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis’s growth in both popularity and giving is a testament to its transformative power for campus groups,” said Michelle Poesy, managing executive director of the Annual and Special Gifts Program, which manages Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis and Give Day, all under the umbrella of Development and Alumni Relations.
“Dollars raised through Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis have a real, direct impact on the participating groups, and I think our campus community and donors are noticing that,” she said.
Project applications undergo review to ensure the projects all have corresponding funds; scholarships have approval by Financial Aid and Scholarships; and all legal messaging requirements are met. Accepted project teams then gain access to the Crowdfund 51ԹϺ Davis platform, train in the key elements of fundraising success and can attend weekly office hour sessions for guidance.
Sierra Ronning is a communications external relations specialist in Development and Alumni Relations. She can be reached by email or at 530-752-2661.
Media Resources
Dateline Staff: Dave Jones, editor, 530-752-6556, dateline@ucdavis.edu; Cody Kitaura, News and Media Relations specialist, 530-752-1932, kitaura@ucdavis.edu.