This February, Bluffton University continued a campaign to raise money from alumni called #Love4BlufftonU. The campaign brought in almost $38,000 last year, and with one day left, more than $47,000 has been raised in the 2018 campaign. All contributions go to the Bluffton Fund, which contributes to financial aid, athletics and cross-cultural education.
This is the third year for the #Love4BlufftonU campaign. This year, for the first time, alumni were asked to vote for the places on campus that have their fondest memories as well as give the established tax-deductible monetary donations to the university. Tuition alone covers 75 percent of operational costs, so this campaign supplements the other 25 percent. During an interview, Julia Szabo, director of Alumni Engagement said this campaign is a “fun way to invoke the fond memories, raise money and let current students that alumni are caring about their education.”
The focus of this campaign is the connection between students and alumni along with fundraising.
Hannah Stephens photo provided
“We can all relate to what our favorite spot on campus is, and [the #Love4BlufftonU campaign] is a timeless way [for students] to connect with alumni,” said Hannah Stephens, a junior dietetics major who works in Musselman Library.
The bulletin board in Marbeck Center comparing current students and alumni’s favorite spots on campus is one way Szabo aims to connect the two groups.
Students were able to vote Feb. 16 for what was their favorite spot on campus or held their fondest memories. Stevens said she voted for Musselman Library as her favorite spot on campus because, “in my freshman year when I started working at the library, there was a lot of camaraderie and relationship between my coworkers.”
Szabo said this addition of voting to the campaign was made to help alumni connect with their memories.
“People love to compare their ideas and memories,” Szabo said. “A lot of [students] spent their educational time and classes in College Hall, and Musselman Library was where [students] studied and gathered.” Many older alumni have said their favorite places on campus were College Hall and Musselman Library.
This campaign took place online so that everyone could donate, vote and see the progress of the campaign as the month went on. Donors could also make their names and affiliation with the school public, such as alumni, faculty, parents of students, and students. Bluffton’s archived photos of past students and their favorite spots on campus have been posted on Bluffton’s social media throughout February to publicise the #Love4BlufftonU campaign.
