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Capital Campaign
Pacific Sets Giving Day Record
A record $1.2 million in donations from nearly 1,600 supporters realized in 24 hours
In just its fourth year, Pacific Gives, the 24-hour online fundraising campaign, shattered previous records. It drew triple the average number of donors from previous years and more than doubled the average dollars raised during the annual event to support current and future students. Most of the gifts received ranged between $25 and $50, proving that small gifts add up to big impact.
“We were overwhelmed by the response from the Pacific community,” said Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20, vice president for development and alumni relations. “This has been an especially hard year for everyone, so it’s incredibly inspiring to see this outpouring of support from Pacific alumni, faculty, staff and friends. It illustrates the tremendous impact our collective giving—at any amount—can make. We’re grateful for everyone who took part in this special day, and we look forward to making Pacific Gives a tradition that will grow each year.”
Throughout the event, donors took advantage of gift challenges and matches to increase the impact of their gifts and unlock extra funds for their favorite areas of the university.
President Christopher Callahan, First Lady Jean Callahan and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Pallavicini teamed up to create a $10,000 challenge for Pacific faculty and staff, matching each donation dollar for dollar up to $10,000 to incentivize early giving. The match was so popular it was fulfilled the evening before the campaign officially launched.
Several donors stepped forward to create their own giving challenge, including Regent Charles Berolzheimer, who matched up to $60,000 toward the Pacific Learning Innovation Fund that supports entrepreneurial pursuits by faculty.
There were also 434 first-time donors, exemplifying how the Pacific family rallied together to help during an extraordinary year.
–MARIO ENRIQUEZ ’10 made a gift to the Leading Tigers Scholarship Fund to support students involved in leadership roles on campus and in their communities
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This year, Pacific highlighted three priority funds:
• The Pacific Fund: Flexible support that can be deployed instantly for students’ greatest needs.
• The Pacific Learning Innovation Fund: Funding for faculty to pursue opportunities that foster experiential learning, innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.
• The Lift Every Voice Endowed Scholarship: Scholarship support for Black undergraduate students with unmet financial need.
Additionally, donors contributed to scholarships for first-generation students, financial security for students pursuing life-changing internships, food pantries that offer relief to students and Medicare Part D clinics that enable pharmacy students to serve their communities and more. “This record-breaking achievement, even in the midst of a pandemic, was possible because of the tremendous support from generous donors who continue to invest in the future of our students and who share in our mission to provide a transformative,
student-centered learning experience,” said President Christopher Callahan. “The result is a true testament to the Tiger spirit and the strength of the Pacific family. During an extraordinary year, Pacific made history and reaffirmed our commitment to our students and their bright futures.”
The success of this year’s giving day also highlights the important tradition of Pacific alumni giving back to their alma mater. Alumni giving increases the value of a Pacific degree and is a vote of confidence in the university. High rates of alumni participation are also an important metric used by agencies like U.S. News & World Report to calculate annual rankings of colleges and universities. These rankings heavily influence Pacific’s ability to recruit the most talented students and secure grants from corporations and foundations.
During Pacific Gives, the number of supporters means far more than the number of dollars raised. Through giving, at any amount, Pacific alumni have the power and opportunity to change the trajectory of the university and ensure the continued excellence of the Pacific experience for generations to come.
SAVE THE DATE!
Next year’s Pacific Gives will take place April 26–27, 2022. Supporters can make a gift year-round at Pacific.edu/MakeAGift
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AN EXEMPLARY LEADER
Burnie Atterbury
Burnie Atterbury, who launched the highly successful Leading with Purpose fundraising campaign, retired from his post as vice president for development and alumni relations on June 30, 2021.
Atterbury served as the university’s top development officer since 2012, overseeing major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, corporation and foundation relations, alumni relations and advancement services.
“Burnie built a tremendous fundraising foundation at Pacific. He truly has taken fundraising to the next level,” Pacific President Christopher Callahan said. “We are indebted to Burnie for his exemplary leadership throughout the campaign and are delighted that he will be continuing in a part-time capacity through the successful end of the campaign next year.”
Atterbury also introduced the Powell Match program, which leverages The Powell Fund to match endowment gifts 1:1. This has resulted in the rapid growth in endowed student scholarships and academic program support, from $150 million in 2012 to more than $500 million.
Also under Atterbury’s leadership, the university saw a record $1.2 million in donations during April’s Pacific Gives, the university’s 24-hour online day of giving.
