SCI Fundraising Reaches New Highs During 2022 Pitt Day of Giving

On February 22, 2022, the University of Pittsburgh held its sixth annual Pitt Day of Giving. Through the generosity of more than 170 supporters - alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, and friends - the School of Computing and Information (SCI) raised over $43,000 in donations. 

“The support from the SCI community is always incredible, and we’re so grateful to all our donors. Their gifts will directly support our students and help the school continue to grow,” said Interim Dean Bruce Childers.

Pitt Day of Giving is an annual fundraiser event that started in 2017, and supports scholarships, research, academic programs, student activities, and initiatives across the University. This year, SCI highlighted seven priority funds where departments showcased program highlights, goals, successes, and needs for funding. 

  • The Scholarship Fund This fund provides financial support to SCI students, as well as learning experiences outside of the classroom, including professional opportunities for students. The Scholarship Fund raised the most out of the seven priority funds, totaling $9,300, with contributions from 32 donors.
  • SCI Annual Giving The Annual Giving fund provides for enhanced teaching environments, outside-the-classroom learning opportunities, and additional support. Annual Giving raised $5,620 from 38 donors. 
  • SCI Diversity and Inclusion This fund provides resources for ensuring a diverse, inclusive, equitable learning environment, and raised $5,310 from the support of 22 donors.
  • Department of Informatics and Networked Systems This fund supports students within the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems, and with the help of 22 donors, raised $2,850.
  • Computer Science Department Supporting initiatives within the Computer Science Department, including undergraduate research opportunities and growing computing participation, this fund raised $5,890 from 34 donors.
  • Department of Information Culture and Data Stewardship From the help of 15 donors, this fund raised $1,600, which will serve to advance departmental initiatives including faculty research, hands-on learning, and career-focused graduate programs.
  • Intelligent Systems Program This provides funds for scholarships and program support within the Intelligent Systems Graduate Program. The fund raised $2,500 made up of donations from 28 contributing donors.

In addition to the success of the seven priority funds, SCI met and exceeded all three match fund challenges set for the fundraiser. The Alumni Board Match Challenge, unlocked with 50 donors, earned the school an additional $500. Second, the Interim Dean Bruce Childers Match Challenge was met when the number of donors exceeded 100, which unlocked an additional $1,000. Finally, when 135 donors contributed, the SCI Board of Visitors Match Challenge was met and unlocked an additional $1,500 in funds.

“Pitt Day of Giving is a wonderful opportunity to support current students, and also creates the foundation to support future students at SCI,” said SCI Board of Visitors Chair Debra D. King. “With the generous support from our donors and the SCI community, we’re excited to develop initiatives that will bolster generations of students.”

With 177 donors contributing to the fundraiser, SCI saw a 51.28% increase in donors from last year and secured third place on the “Raise the Bar” challenge leaderboard, a challenge rewarding growth from the previous year’s fundraising, which earned the school an extra $10,000 inf funds and marked the 2022 Pitt Day of Giving a success.

During the 24-hour long fundraiser, the University received nearly three million dollars total in donations, from contributions of over 11,000 donors. At the end of a day full of generosity, the contributions within SCI will benefit countless students, programs, and funds.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing the impact our Pitt Day of Giving donations have on the future of scholarships, programming, and strategic efforts in the school,” said Childers, “and we’re excited to see what next year’s Day of Giving has in store for SCI!”