UC Crowdfunds: By the Numbers

You may have noticed a flurry of social media and email activity from Ursinus during the first 2 weeks of April. Students were working hard—empowered to spread the word and raise the funds they needed to accomplish 4 different, but equally compelling goals. Alumni, parents, faculty and friends—63 in total—were inspired to make a gift, proving once again that the Ursinus community can work together to make an impact. The first annual UC Crowdfunds initiative succeeded in raising $2,030 to support this important student. Here are a few words from our students about their projects: 

 EARTH DAY FAIR
GOAL: $500
RAISED: $520
DONORS: 15

 The annual Earth Day Celebration promotes and highlights the importance of protecting the planet. Students were invited to learn about sustainable measures through discussion and hands-on activities that focus not only on ways to be environmentally conscious on campus, but on ways to tackle even bigger, real-world issues. With the help of our generous alumni, this year’s celebration was enhanced with a “build a sustainable house” theme, as well as henna, raffles and free food.

  SERVICE LEARNING GUATEMALA
GOAL: $500
RAISED: $580
DONORS: 16

 More than study abroad—this was a unique opportunity for two UC students to learn a language and provide community service in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. The students, Anna Crowder and Stephanie Donahue, volunteered in a nursing home and orphanage. Stephanie worked in a nursing home, providing aid and companionship for senior citizens. Anna went to the orphanage, providing care and running activities for children. Both the nursing home and the orphanage were in dire need of supplies. Thanks to the support of our generous alumni, Stephanie and Anna were able to bring critical supplies, including library books and personal hygiene products, to their service locations.

URSINUS LGBTQ+ PRIDE
GOAL: $500
RAISED: $490 (+$25 Pledge)
DONORS: 13

 As the global community shifts toward a more LGBTQ+ oriented perspective, the Gender & Sexuality Alliance is working to promote this culture in the Ursinus community. They are arranging a contest, open to the entire campus, to submit t-shirt designs and then vote on the best LGBTQ Ursinus Pride design. It is important to promote pride on campus, as this builds community and allows people to express themselves. Furthermore, this advertises to incoming students and parents that this is a queer-friendly campus. There is currently a lack of a visual representation of the queer community at Ursinus, and having these t-shirts will meet this demand.

 DIVERSITY SPEAKER
GOAL: $500
RAISED: $440
DONORS: 19

 Sankofa Umoja Nia (SUN) had the special opportunity to hear from City Love, a speaker that has given Ursinus students and faculty opportunities to engage with discussions on race and diversity. For such a small campus, we can’t expect professors to teach everything they are passionate about, nor can we expect students to take every available class to understand the importance of engaging in conversations around race and diversity. This is why bringing a speaker to campus benefited all in the community. This year, SUN has learned and grown to better understand the needs of the black and minority community; we do not want their voices to go unheard. We want the black and minority students to feel just as safe and welcome on campus as everyone else.