Tuesday, March 19, Elizabethtown College will raise money in its fifth annual Power of One Day.
The Power of One Day is part of the Be More Inspired Campaign, which raises money to fund various programs and initiatives on campus.
This year, the Be More Inspired Campaign aims to raise $60 million and has already raised $56,700,000.
The Power of One Day initiative is a 24-hour fundraising event where students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends can donate to help Etown reach its 60 million dollar goal.
When people donate, they can choose where their money goes in the College. It can support sports teams, campus organizations or specific academic departments.
“In the case of donations that are designated for specific areas, the College must apply them according to the wishes of the donor,” said Mark Clapper, executive director of college engagement opportunities, in an email.
In 2016, 1,363 donors participated in the Power of One Day to raise $278,000. In 2017, 1,415 donors worked to raise $354,000. Last year, in 2018, 1,605 donors set a new record in participation and also in donations by raising $404,000.
This year, there is a new initiative connected with Power of One Day under the Be More Inspired Campaign. According to Clapper, the initiative called the “Power of Us” targets faculty, staff and Etown retirees.
Dr. Jane Cavender, professor of biology and Dr. Fletcher McClellan, professor of political science, are the co-chairs of the initiative and head a team of about 40 people. This year, the goal is to achieve 100 percent participation from the target audience.
Faculty and staff are not aiming for a certain amount of money raised because the team behind the Power of Us campaign is prioritizing participation of any amount.
This new faculty and staff campaign aims to spread the message that Etown is worthy of donations from external donors since faculty, staff and even retirees are continuing to donate to the College in addition to the work they already put in and continue to put into the College.
The Power of One Day will also allow donors to help unlock “challenge money.” According to the event FAQs, each of the first 1,700 donations will “unlock” $100 to add to the donation pool along with the amount they donate.
If 1,700 people donate to the cause, the college will receive an extra $170,000 towards its $60 million goal.
“So, for example, if a person gives $10 on the Power of One Day, it will actually mean that the individual’s generosity will yield a collective total of $110 for Etown when paired with the challenge dollars,” Clapper said.
The challenge money can be unlocked with any donation amount; there is no minimum or maximum. In years past, the challenge money unlocked has ranged from $100,000 to $150,000.
This year, these extra donation dollars will be provided by a group of generous Etown alumni and friends who will pool their donations to give other donors more incentive to give during the Power of One Day.
Challenge dollars are undesignated, so they will support all areas of the Etown educational experience through the Elizabethtown College Fund. This means that “the College has the ability to direct them to the areas of greatest need at the time,” according to Clapper.
“Undesignated donations benefit our entire campus community through support for scholarships and financial aid, academic and co-curricular programs and resources that help the College address unforeseen needs and unexpected challenges,” Clapper said.
The Power of One Day campaign will be receiving donations in multiple different forms.
They can be made online at www.etown.edu/powerofus, with cash, with credit or debit cards or with payroll deduction the website says.
Donations can also be mailed to One Alpha Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. All who donate will receive a receipt which can be used to make the donation tax deductible.
Tuesday, March 19th, Etown faculty and staff will answer phones to take donations. Last year, some of these “celebrity callers” answering phones included head coaches of Etown’s sports teams, professors from various academic departments and even the Blue Jay mascot.
To call in donations on the Power of One Day, the number is 800-877-9658.
