Student groups at the George Washington University can be powerful forces for community, creativity and change. But they need many resources: organizing materials, travel funds, new instruments or recording equipment, amenities for speakers and much more. GW’s 2024 Student Org Giving Challenge starts today, giving donors an opportunity to help students close funding gaps on whatever they’re passionate about. This year, GW’s Office of the President has offered a dollar-for-dollar match on the first $25,000 in donations, doubling givers’ impact on their chosen organization. The challenge is administered by GW’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
"Student organizations are vital to GW's vibrant campus life, creating spaces where students discover their passions and develop as leaders," GW President Ellen M. Granberg said. "I am delighted to create this presidential match to amplify the impact of every donation. By supporting these organizations, we're not just funding activities—we're investing in the experiences that shape our students' growth and strengthen our entire university community."
Student Government Association President Ethan Fitzgerald, a junior in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, said that many GW students “find their friends, their second families, through the organizations they join."
“Student orgs face a lot of challenges in terms of funding, so supporting them as much as possible is crucial," he said. "This match means every dollar could count twice as much, which is an incentive both for people to donate and to encourage others to donate.”
In some ways, the challenge is a straightforward contribution drive. Participating organizations spread the word in their own circles and keep 100% of the donations sent their way. But the challenge also has a competitive edge, since each group also has has a set goal for number of donors to reach, aiming for three times its membership count. The three groups who reach the highest percentage toward their goal will receive additional prizes donated by the GW Alumni Association Executive Committee: $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.
Twenty-five groups raised a total of $17,161 in last year’s challenge, and students who participated say the thrill of competition was almost as enjoyable as the material improvements the funds secured. Anthony DeRosa, president of GW’s MotherFunkers a cappella group, remembered going neck-and-neck in a friendly rivalry with GW’s Jazz Orchestra, headed by then-senior and current School of Business master’s student Nick Anmahian, B.S. ’24.
“We were always checking the leaderboard as it was changing,” said DeRosa, a CCAS senior majoring in communications. “When suddenly ‘Oh my god, Jazz Orchestra are beating us!’, that would definitely help motivate us internally.”
“We were constantly checking on the Funkers,” Anmahian said. “It was nice to be able to do the calculation and go, ‘Okay, they got five more donors—that means we need to get 12 more donors to match the percentage that they climbed up.’”
Neither could remember immediately who won first place. (It was the Funkers.) But both were able to secure significant funding and put it to immediate use. The Funkers raised recording fees to make their first album in six years, while Jazz Orchestra, which regularly performs at university and private gigs, were able to buy professional-grade equipment like amplifiers, microphones and custom stands.
“It didn't really matter that we that we didn't win the first-place spot. We still raised a ton of money because of that competition, and we got to keep all of that,” Anmahian said. “It was hugely helpful. So thank you guys, I guess,” he told DeRosa, making both students laugh.
Larger organizations also benefited from the competition, said Kiera Hackett, a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs who is community director of TedX Foggy Bottom. The group, which mounts an annual conference featuring visionary talks from thinkers and doers in science, industry and the arts, won third place last year with donations from almost 100 donors. Those funds allow the group to host a high-quality event with professional amenities and prestigious speakers.
“TedX is an expensive endeavor to put on, so having this extra source of income is really essential to our conference and we’re really geared up for it this year,” Hackett said. She added a challenge to DeRosa and Anmahian: “We’re ready to take down Jazz Orchestra and the Funkers this year. We're going for gold.”
This year’s Student Org Giving Challenge ends Dec. 3 at 11:59 p.m. Learn more and donate here.