BYU Annual Giving hosted Giving Cougsday from Oct. 15-16 to raise funds for the university's athletics, scholarships and different colleges.
BYU Annual Giving collaborated with Philanthropies and multiple BYU alumni chapters to collect donations for the university, Tau Ioane, manager for Annual Giving in the Philanthropies department, said.
“We focus on giving back to BYU," Ioane said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
All students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends were invited to share their light by contributing a gift of any size, according to Giving Cougsday’s website.
“We hope when it’s all said and done, over 3,000 people will be part of this effort,” David Smith, BYU alumni and member of a BYU Telefund 2002-2012 group, said on Facebook.
Each year’s donor goal is based off the number of donors from the previous year's, Ioane said. In 2023, Giving Cougsday got a little more than 2,400 donors, so the program thought they’d make this year's goal a big one, he added.
“One of my favorite things about Giving Cougsday is how personalized it can be,” Ellie Sanchez, current BYU student and part of the Donor Experience Support at Philanthropies, said. “You’re not giving to just an institution; you can give to such personalized funds.”
There are funds specified for all kinds of areas within the school, Sanchez explained. For example, if a student used to do ballet at BYU and wants to donate to the students specifically in that field, there’s a way to do that.
“That’s a really great quality about Cougsday for those who donate,” Sanchez said. “They know exactly who’s benefiting and the impact it can have on students’ lives.”
There are gifts given anonymously that are unlocked once the cause reaches a certain number of donors, according to the Giving Cougsday website. For example, the Participation Extra Impact Gift of $50,000 is fully unlocked once the goal of 3,000 donors is reached.
"I am a BYU alum so I love the institution. It's done a lot for me," Ioane said. "I grew a lot as an individual both spiritually and academically. I'm really grateful for the experience that I had there."
The hope is that through Giving Cougsday all students can have a wonderful experience at BYU as well, he added.
"It's really cool to see the best of people," Ioane said. "You see different people at different stages of their lives making time and space in their lives to share their resources."
Giving Cougsday donations can be made online at its website.