By Melissa Savignano
There was no free candy. There were no fun games to stop by and play, no smiling student volunteers or tables lining the halls of CAS. Giving Day in April 2021, like everything else since the start of the global pandemic, was a socially distanced affair. In fact, it was entirely virtual. But the no-nonsense, online day of giving back to BU and CAS was successful nonetheless, and the more restrained atmosphere probably befitted the College’s focus on raising awareness and funds for a better, more thoughtful future on campus.
“Over the years, alumni, parents, and friends of CAS have come together on Giving Day to show their support for the work of the Dean and the faculty,” says CAS Dean’s Advisory Board Chair Bonnie Feld (CAS’73, Par COM’02). “Being able to build on this momentum and be successful as a collective group during this time was especially important and inspiring.”
Development staff and CAS department and program staff led the charge and did an admirable job of raising awareness and funds, as CAS raised $219,000 from 1,000 donors—exceeding our dollar goal. Prizes this year went to the most improved departments, programs, and centers (as based on results from 2019 Giving Day). You can see the full results here. The Departments of Anthropology and History walked away with the top two spots respectively, which their staff and faculty members hope to use to strengthen courses and events once campus can return to full capacity.
“I’m eager to enhance undergraduate and graduate programming post-pandemic, including our long-delayed live ‘Historians at the Movies’ (#HATM) night with a guest speaker, as well as support graduate and undergraduate research,” says Cady Steinberg, department administrator for the Department of History. As a way to engage potential donors and alumni digitally throughout the day, History Program Coordinator Jillian Nichols put together a special edition of their newsletter to highlight the impact every dollar makes; examples include helping with documentary and archival work and interdisciplinary collaborations across the University.
The Elie Wiesel Center for Jewish Studies came in third, with the African American Studies Program rounding out the leaderboard. The Wiesel Center will use their money raised for a student-initiated conversation on Jews, intersectionality, and anti-racist ally-ship that two 2021 BU graduates, Olivia Ritter and Tallulah Bark-Huss, are helping plan for Fall 2021.
“After some conversations among students at the Center, it was decided it would be great to have a student-centered event that focused on honest conversations around race from a Jewish and a student perspective,” says Jeremy Solomons, communications coordinator for the Center. The planned event for the fall, Black/s and Jew/s. Then and Now, is inspired by the Center’s 2019 talk Organizers have invited Yavilah McCoy, the CEO and Executive Director of DIMENSIONS, a nonprofit in Boston, to be the main presenter.
When asked why they donate, CAS gift-givers usually speak about the opportunities and activities the College provided them as students—from faculty support, to study abroad trips, to singular events that changed their perspectives. Deirdre Giblin (CAS’90), who received a degree in political science and English, even cited Elie Wiesel as a critical part of why she became a human rights lawyer.
Organizers are already looking forward to Giving Day next year—with candy, games, and smiling faces lining the halls.