The VMI Alumni Agencies hosted a crowdfunding campaign to raise support for funding the mission of VMI. With Founders Day as a focal point, It All Starts Here featured members of the Corps of Cadets expressing the things at the Institute they are most thankful for.
It All Starts Here raised $94,830. The donor goal was set at 181, in honor of the 181st year since VMI’s founding.
Thanks to you, the VMI family, the campaign exceeded the goal by 29%, totaling 234 donors to the campaign. It All Starts Here was successful in raising vital resources for the Institute. It offered an opportunity for alumni and friends of VMI to rally together during a significant day on the Institute’s calendar. When making their gift, donors were encouraged to share something that they are thankful for.
At a time when many events are postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, crowdfunding is still relevant as a means of connecting people with VMI’s mission and offering an opportunity for them to show their support.
Recognizing the fact that 25% of the Institute’s budget comes from private support, campaigns like It All Starts Here are an important part of the annual fundraising effort for the VMI Alumni Agencies. They increase giving to the Foundation Fund and the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund, which impact the lives of cadets each and every day.
Days of giving or other crowdfunding initiatives serve to drive competition between classes and increase annual giving donor counts, which improve alumni participation. VMI’s excellent alumni donor participation is a key metric in college rankings, as published by U.S. News and World Report and other reporting bodies. VMI’s excellent alumni participation is one more metric that positions the Institute above other colleges and universities.
