Rutgers places tags around campus for 'Teaching Annual Giving Day'
TAG Day, or Teaching Annual Giving Day, is back at Rutgers to teach students about philanthropy and encourage them to support the University.
TAG Day is centered around educating the community about alumni donor support at Rutgers, said Karen Smith, the senior director of University News and Media Relations in an email.
“The Department of Annual Giving and TAG Team, the Department of Annual Giving’s student group, plans TAG Day and other events throughout the year to help build a culture of philanthropy at Rutgers,” she said.
Seniors who donate $15 or more to a program or area of Rutgers by May 11 will receive a donor cord to wear on Commencement Day, an invitation to a reception with Athletic Director Pat Hobbs at the Honors College and will be recognized as a Scarlet Senior.
“The purpose of placing the (tag) signs around campus is to help education students about philanthropy and the ways in which alumni gifts and private support shape the Rutgers experience every day,” Smith said.
Last year, 73 percent of the incoming class received a financial aid offer, and gifts from graduates made 2,164 scholarships possible for Rutgers—New Brunswick students, according to the Rutgers University Foundation website.
State support covers less than one-third of the cost of a Rutgers education, making alumni generosity essential for students, according to the website. Donors impact everything from library books and lab equipment to budgets for student organizations.
Alumni participation in giving is factored into university rankings, such as those published in U.S. News and World Report, according to the website.
TAG Day organizers planned activities throughout the week, including three escape room events based on donor support at Rutgers, as well as two trivia nights centered around Rutgers and philanthropy, Smith said.
Students can sign up to become an advocate and will receive a unique link that keeps track of how many clicks, donors and dollars that the student helped to collect. There are different incentive levels that offer different awards to students depending on the amount of donation money that they collect, according to the website.
“We have had over 200 seniors make a gift to become Scarlet Seniors,” Smith said. “Seniors can make donations in person or at any TAG Day event.”
Alexandra DeMatos is a School of Arts and Sciences junior majoring in journalism and media studies and women's and gender studies. She is the editor-in-chief of The Daily Targum
