Thursday, February 18 is Gator Nation Giving Day, when University of Florida alumni, students, faculty, staff, families and friends worldwide all get a chance to Stand Up & Holler.
We might have to use our inside voices when hollering this year, as Gator Nation Giving Day will be a virtual event. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a lot of noise by showing support for UF and all the research, education and outreach that make positive impacts on our state, nation and world. The University-wide goal this year is to generate 20,000 gifts in 24 hours, and UF/IFAS will again play a big part in reaching that goal.
Through UF’s land-grant mission, more people around the state are touched by UF/IFAS than any other part of the University. Whether they received their degree from CALS, benefit from UF/IFAS scientific research, rely on their county Extension office for educational programs, or have fond memories of summers spent at 4-H camps, hundreds of thousands of people each year benefit from the teaching, research and Extension work of UF/IFAS.
Last year’s event was a major success for UF/IFAS. We received 657 gifts, raising $55,000, plus several larger commitments that brought our fundraising total to more than $430,000. We’re looking to top those numbers this year.
You can give gifts of any amount to any UF fund during Gator Nation Giving Day. This year the team at UF/IFAS Advancement is highlighting even more giving opportunities, so you can support UF/IFAS Extension wherever it affects you the most, whether they’re statewide programs or your friendly neighborhood Extension office.
EXTENSION UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS
Gifts to this fund go to the Extension Internship Program, a collaboration with the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and part of VP Scott Angle’s promise to enrich the educational opportunities for CALS students. Now in its tenth year, the internship program has given CALS students like 2019 animal sciences major Cassidy Dossin the opportunity to support community programs while exploring a career in Extension: “My internship with UF/IFAS Extension in the summer of 2018 was pivotal in shaping my college experience and gave me direction in my pursuit of a career after graduation,” she says. Cassidy is now an Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Clay County.
Jimmy & Benita Boyd Challenge for Extension Internships
Jimmy Boyd and Benita Boyd will match all gifts to the Extension Internship Program up to $3,000 to double your impact for student interns in 2021.
Your gift to Florida 4-H Youth Development provides young people with the community, mentors and unique learning opportunities they need to develop skills and create positive change in their lives and communities. When you partner with Florida 4-H, you help reach more than 200,000 young people statewide. From agriculture to art, civic engagement to healthy living, and photography to robotics, 4-H’ers ignite their passions, discover their potential and become the true leaders we need now more than ever.
Florida 4-H Youth Development Challenge
Your gift to 4-H helps unlock an additional $1,000 from Dr. Marilyn Norman, retired Florida 4-H State Program Leader and National 4-H Hall of Fame inductee.
4-H CAMPS
4-H camping is where youth discover new passions, strengthen their independence and connect with their peers to be effective team members and develop as leaders. Your gift will help improve facilities and resources for more than 1,200 youth and 380 camp counselors at Florida’s 4-H camps. Each of the camps also can earn a bonus $1,000 from Dr. Marilyn Norman.
FLORIDA MASTER GARDENER LEGACY FUND
The Master Gardener Legacy Fund provides financial support to Master Gardener Volunteer programs throughout Florida. County groups can apply annually to receive grants for new or continuing educational projects such as school and community gardens, greenhouse construction and more. Join us in continuing to grow this endowment and fund more county Master Gardener projects in local communities. Supporters receive a special pin as a token of our appreciation.
FLORIDA MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM ENDOWMENT
This year the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) celebrates 20 years of promoting awareness, understanding and respect for Florida’s natural world. UF/IFAS Extension partners with organizations to offer this series of environmental training and educational courses for adults with interest in Florida’s unique environments to share with others as volunteers, natural resource professionals, ecotourism guides, educators and more.
Florida Master Naturalists share their knowledge and foster principles of respect for our natural world. Your gift will help to train more Master Naturalists, develop curriculum resources and protect natural Florida through education.
In each of 67 counties and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a local team of UF/IFAS Extension professionals connects people with science-based solutions for life’s challenges. A gift to your UF/IFAS Extension office results in positive change that you can see in your own community, including 4-H clubs for youth, lawn and garden support from local Master Gardener Volunteers, tools and resources for local growers, improved natural resource conservation strategies, healthy living skills for families in nutrition and finances, and much more.
If all this is a bit much and you just want to show your support for IFAS, you can give to the IFAS unrestricted fund. UF/IFAS is committed to advancing science for 20 million Floridians and beyond. Training the next generation, assisting communities in the wake of natural disasters, protecting water resources and fighting citrus greening are just a few of the ways UF/IFAS is making a difference. Your gift to UF/IFAS provides critical resources to help us keep making a difference.
You can see a full list of Gator Nation Giving Day opportunities for UF/IFAS Teaching, Research and Extension here.
Now that you’re all ready for Gator Nation Giving Day, remember to be far enough away from your desk, to be wearing your khaki pants, and to give your family members advance warning when you…Stand Up & Holler for the Gators!
I know I’ll be hollering–won’t you join me?
To stand up & holler on social media, use #AllForTheGators
Contribute your gift for Gator Nation Giving Day now!
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