In recent years, U of T has launched the U of T Giving Day fundraising campaign, an initiative aimed at bringing together the U of T community in support of funding a range of opportunities for students and researchers. Some of these include scholarships and awards that aim to improve access to education and foster a more diverse student population.
Taking place this year on March 26, the collective fundraising day motivates first-time donors to realize their impact and rally those who feel a strong sense of connection to the University.
While many alumni give back to the U of T community, staff and faculty can also play an important role supporting the students within their own division.
Stephanie Chege is the Advancement Coordinator at Bloomberg Nursing and gave to the GNSS Black and Indigenous Student Award for the first time on U of T Giving Day 2024, motivated by the matching program that doubles a donor’s impact up to $1000 per gift.
“As a Black alumnus of the University of Toronto, I’m passionate about promoting access to education for diverse and historically disenfranchised groups by removing financial barriers and empowering students to succeed,” says Chege of her decision to donate.
Staff and faculty she says, have several ways of contributing to student awards. One option is to pledge a portion of their monthly income, which is something Chege does, or they can choose to participate with one-time donations during special campaigns, such as Giving Day or the Fall Campaign.
“Every contribution helps to shape the future of nursing,” says Chege.
For Kristen Reichold, Director of the Dean’s Office, giving to student awards is something she feels strongly about as a member of the senior leadership team and in her role working on quality assurance within the Faculty’s programs.
“It is hard to be a student in Toronto right now, the high cost of living can be a significant impediment to pursing a graduate degree. I think is important to give especially to the GNSS Black and Indigenous Student Award to ensure that our programs are accessible to people who want to attend without finances being a barrier for them,” says Reichold.
This year Reichold will give again to the Faculty on U of T Giving Day, a campaign that speaks to her she says about the need for the community to step up.
“I feel like it is my responsibility as a member of this community to be committed and contribute where I can,” says Reichold.
In her role as Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer, Rebecca Biason has heard from many of the students she has interviewed about the impact that funding from student awards has had on their education. It is what motivated her last U of T Giving Day to donate to the Faculty and the GNSS Black and Indigenous Student Award for the first time.
“Many of the students say to me, these awards help them focus on their education, allowing them to not work as hard or juggle a job while trying to advance their career,” says Biason. “Some have young children, others have older parents to care for and hearing how much these awards support them in realizing their dreams of becoming nurse leaders had a real impact on me and made me want to give back.”
The collective goal of raising awareness about the importance of student awards and donating whatever you can is part of the message of U of T Giving Day, and something Biason says is what has cemented her decision to continue to give to student awards including the new Educating Nursing’s Future Fund.