Philanthropoly, a life-sized game of Monopoly, is part of a pop-up event at the heart of campus on Giving Tuesday. Credit: University of Victoria
UVic is getting ready to add some fun to philanthropy and make a difference in the lives of thousands of students on Giving Tuesday, Dec 3.
Giving Tuesday is a global movement to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.
"Donations from UVic alumni and members of the Victoria community touch just about every area of the university, but they are most evident in providing support for students whether that be financial, practical or mental-health related," says Jane Potentier, Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Development.
Getting students involved in Giving Tuesday helps them learn how donors are helping them and their fellow students, and it sparks the idea of what causes they, as future leaders, might want to support through their own philanthropy."
Jane Potentier, Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Development
UVic's Giving Tuesday campaign centres around the theme of sprinkles and brings together alumni, community members, faculty, staff and students to donate, participate in events and unlock dollars to reach our goals. Giving Tuesday activities show how, by working together, we can make a big difference across campus contributing to student-led initiatives, research that strengthens communities, and programs that change lives. Former UVic theatre student, Justin Little, explains the sprinkles concept here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1J2FlsNRGc
Getting young people more engaged in social causes is the aim of several games and activities being planned at UVic. The play-it-forward style games, where students get to designate dollars already put forward by generous UVic donors, are not only a favourite of students, but they also continue to receive global recognition for educating students about how philanthropy is vital at the university and in the wider community.
"On Giving Tuesday, I always choose the student food bank for the donor dollars because it's something I care about a lot. I can't imagine not having the help I had from the food bank during my first year," says UVic student Ana Galicia. "After that, I volunteered at the food bank and I met tons of people who I now call friends. The people who go there and the people who work there are very welcoming and warm. It's helped me financially and I've been able to try new things."
UVic has been recognized nationally and internationally for its Giving Tuesday campaigns, including receiving a Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Grand Gold Circle of Excellence Award for Student Engagement in 2022: "UVic Students Play it Forward was an innovative approach to student engagement and student philanthropy. The thoughtful approach to gamify a solicitation was brilliant, and the results showed that the creative approach and time spent were worthwhile in that it had broad impact and should be lifted up as a model program." - Judging Panel, CASE
One way UVic is gamifying giving on Giving Tuesday is through the popular Philanthropoly, a life-sized game of Monopoly that is part of a pop-up event at the heart of campus. After rolling the giant dice and stepping around the board, students get to choose where to designate $10 in sprinkle bucks, which will have already been put up by donors in advance. By playing the game and learning how philanthropy has an impact on campus, students get a say in which causes should get more support - whether that's student financial aid, food security, Indigenous Elder engagement or student wellness, to name a few options.
Students can also play it forward online through Campus Quest, a virtual treasure hunt, and Instagram stories photo quizzes. Each of these games unlocks dollars from donors, while showing students the many causes that donors support at the university. In 2023, 824 donors supported 24 different initiatives, and more than 1,300 students participated in the giving games on campus.
UVic has been participating in Giving Tuesday since 2016, generating more than $900,000 for a variety of student-support programs and community projects. To learn more about UVic's 2024 Giving Tuesday activities or to donate, visit: https://www.uvic.ca/support-uvic/giving-tuesday
