KDG

Allentown, Pennsylvania, December 29, 2015 (Newswire.com) - 2015 was a huge year for higher education crowdfunding campaigns at college and university campuses across the nation. The popularity of setting aside one 24-hour period to rake in donations using the power of social media has generated impressive results in just one day for schools large and small that have perfected the art of higher education crowdfunding.

As a leader in developing customized crowdfunding platforms for colleges and universities nationwide, The Kyle David Group has enjoyed a unique behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to pull off a successful Day of Giving campaign. As 2015 comes to an end, their top designers and developers have compiled a list of 10 record-breaking higher education campaigns you should have heard about this year.

"Of course we didn't showcase all of the amazing record-breaking campaigns we followed as a firm this year, but we think our list highlights an impressive range, from large to small and novice to advanced, of schools that really got it right in 2015," says Kyle David, CEO at KDG.

Kyle David, CEO

1. Purdue University

The Boilermakers made crowdfunding history on April 29 this year by pulling in $13.7 million from midnight to midnight. That’s the highest total on record for a single day of giving at a college or university.  To achieve that milestone, they received more than 9,500 donations from 37 countries and all 50 states.

2. Columbia University

Not far behind Purdue, Columbia University raked in slightly more than $12.7 million during Columbia Giving Day on October 21. They received an impressive 13,090 individual gifts.

3. Miami University

Miami welcomed its record-breaking Class of 2019 with an equally record-breaking #MoveinMiami campaign on August 21. The campaign raised more than $670,000 from more than 3,200 donations.

4. Santa Clara University

For their second Day of Giving campaign, Santa Clara University set a goal of attracting 4,000 donors. They made the list because they not only reached the goal, they exceeded it with 4,855 donations. In total, they generated more than $1.2 million, which included a $500,000 match donation from one alumni couple.

5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

RPi Day, held on March 14 (Pi Day), is Rensselaer’s clever and unique day of giving campaign that engages students, alumni, faculty and parents in a way that is perfectly aligned with the school’s technical roots. This year for their second day of giving campaign they broke their previous year’s record bringing in more than 1,200 donors.

6. LaSalle University

The Explorers set their Day of Giving campaign goals around the year they were founded–1863. They aimed to attract 1,863 unique donations. On March 20, they did that and more bringing in 1,898 donations totaling $207,000 for a record-setting campaign for their campus.

7. Muhlenberg College

Like LaSalle University, the Mules set a crowdfunding campaign goal based on their founding year of 1848. Their successful #Mulementum campaign on November 12, powered by KDG’s custom crowdfunding platform, exceeded the goal and attracted an impressive mix of donors with 48 percent alumni, 24 percent parents, 11 percent friends,  9 percent faculty, and 8 percent students.

8. Illinois State University

In addition to Day of Giving campaigns, which can take place on any day, the increasingly popular #GivingTuesday campaigns take place on the Tuesday after Black Friday. The Redbirds used #GivingTuesday to enhance their annual giving totals by bringing in more than $550,000 from 1,445 gifts on the December 1st event.

9. Florida Institute of Technology

Florida Tech launched its first day of giving campaign on December 1 for #Giving Tuesday. Instead of focusing on a specific dollar amount, the school set a goal of attracting 500 donors. Using a custom crowdfunding platform developed by KDG, they nearly tripled that goal receiving 1,499 donations from donors in 63 countries.

10. Stevens Institute of Technology

The energy surrounding The Ducks’ first day of giving campaign was so magnetic, they turned it into a weeklong campaign. Thanks to a gameified approach that incorporated badges and encouraged donors to work toward collective goals, Stevens ended up collecting six times their initial goal in final donations!

While KDG’s list captures a diverse range of the notable record-breaking higher education crowdfunding campaigns in 2015, they acknowledge it is by no means comprehensive.

“Of course we didn’t showcase all of the amazing record-breaking campaigns we followed as a firm this year, but we think our list highlights an impressive range, from large to small and novice to advanced, of schools that really got it right in 2015,” says Kyle David, CEO at KDG.

David says his firm expects higher education crowdfunding will grow even bigger in 2016.

About The Company

The Kyle David Group (www.kyledavidgroup.com) is a high technology consultancy based in the Lehigh Valley, PA and with offices in Washington, DC. For more than 14 years the tech firm has developed innovative technology solutions that allow higher education institutions to improve alumni engagement, manage enrollment more effectively, and attract a broader audience to optimized websites that are mobile-friendly. KDG also serves a variety of clients in the commercial, government, healthcare, retail, and nonprofit sectors.  

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