Give Back or Go Home For Whittier
Every year, the College throws a one-day online fundraising event called the Big Poet Give (BPG). This event is where students, parents, staff, and alumni from all over the world gather to reach a certain goal of funding for the College in one day. The purpose of this fundraiser is to spread awareness about Whittier College and its current state, which is especially needed after the cancellation of sports in 2022, and decline in enrollment.
Last year’s fundraiser was able to raise $143,499 for Whittier students. 191 gifts provided by 256 donors from states across the US, including Washington, New York, and even Georgia. Now, this year’s goal is to raise a as much money as humanely possible only within the day of March 27! According to the Director of Annual Giving, Kelli Bronson, this unlimited set goal will help meet “current operating needs over the next five years and support student success.”
The way the fundraiser is done is quite simple. When the fundraiser goes live, the website, givingday.whittier.edu, will provide donors with a link to where they can leave their contact information, method of payment, and the amount of money they will give to the College. The BPG accepts any form of donation, whether it’s through Venmo, Paypal or Visa. If not, Poets are encouraged to support the BPG on social media, adding #BIGPOETGIVE to all posts made.
But March 27 is not the only day you can donate to support the BPG and Whittier Now! Donors who contribute to Whittir Now! during the fiscal year — July 1 to June 30– will be recognized in certain ranks depending on the amount donated after the deadline. The lowest rank is “Wardman Circle,” which is awarded when $1,000 to $2,000 are donated. As the ranks rise, you enter “John Greenleaf Whittier Society” sections up. The highest rank is the John Greenleaf Whittier Society — Trustee Circle, which is awarded to donators of $30,000 and above.
But this year’s BPG is nothing like its predecessors. For the first time in its nine years of operation, the Big Poet Give will be supporting the “Whittier Now!” initiative, another planned fundraiser that was announced last semester. This collaboration will ensure that personalized liberal arts education will resume at Whittier College as the mission behind Whittier Now! is to “help sustain the highly personalized residential liberal arts experience that has transformed so many lives over generations. [The goal is to] promote education, liberal arts, and a welcome setting to solidify enrollment and fundraising for years to come.” Though they share the same principles, the BPG’s events are primarily focused on one singular day, while Whittier Now! is meant to represent all year round funding for the College.
Everyone can benefit from the Big Poet Give, regardless of their position on campus. According to Bronson, the BPG support would “allow the College to uphold its commitment to student scholarships, faculty excellence, career readiness, athletics, a challenging, interactive curriculum, and more.”
This is also a learning opportunity for Poets wanting to learn more about philanthropy. Bronson believes that “philanthropy strengthens community and is contagious; it brings people together in support of a cause that is bigger than themselves.” If Poets support the BPG, then this can encourage them to invest more in other similar organizations.
If you want to keep track of the progress of the fundraiser, you can watch live updates through the BPG website. It is currently live and offers up-to-the-minute statistics about donations and donors. The website shows how many donations the College has received so far and which state has contributed the most to the fund. As of March 6, the state of California has the most participants with nine out of the 15 donors being located in the home state of the College.
For any questions related to the Big Poet Give, you can contact Kelli Bronson, the current operator of the BPG, through her email, kbronson@whittier.edu.
Either way, to ensure that Whittier College keeps its extracurriculars and student success, start planning to get as involved as you can before March 27! Students are allowed to donate, but, for those with tight pockets, use #BIGPOETGIVE all over social media to spread the word.
Photo Courtesy of Whittier College
