The University of Victoria is taking the message behind Giving Tuesday to heart and looking to play it forward.
UVic is getting ready to add some fun to philanthropy and make a difference in the lives of thousands of students on Giving Tuesday, a global movement taking place Dec. 3 this year 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,” said Jane Potentier, UVic's associate vice-president for 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.”
UVic has several games and activities planned that aim to get young people more engaged in social causes. The play-it-forward style games, where students get to designate dollars already put forward by generous UVic donors.
“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) Excellence Award for Student Engagement in 2022. “UVic Students Play it Forward was an innovative approach to student engagement and student philanthropy," according to the CASE judging panel, calling the approach to gamify a solicitation "brilliant."
One way UVic is gamifying giving is through 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.
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.
