Giving Tuesday is a global movement each year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. This campaign aims to kick off the charity season and allows for people all over the world to make donations. Workers at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City first created the campaign. It is now a global movement run by different individuals, communities and partners from around the world. According to an email from Anthony Bellucci, the director of Annual Giving at SHU, Seton Hall began participating in Giving Tuesday just a few years ago. It was done in an effort to join the global cause, and allow the Pirate Community to support the University. Bellucci oversees and coordinates Seton Hall’s efforts on Giving Tuesday. In an email, he said, “Seton Hall has been recognized as the best college in America for Christmas. In the spirit of Christmas and giving, and as part of Seton Hall’s 12 Acts of Christmas Kindness, we are asking alumni to support our Division of Volunteer Efforts; a cause that does so much for the community, both locally and internationally.” “While this year’s focus is raising money for DOVE, University Advancement is still running Giving Tuesday,” Bellucci stated. “We continue to ask the entire Pirate community to support these causes throughout the year as they help support our students.” According to Bellucci, donors were able to send in money through the University’s website. The initial target groups were alumni, parents, students and faculty, but generally anyone was able to donate. For the first time since the University began practicing this campaign, all funds received went directly to DOVE. “I think that focusing our efforts on supporting DOVE on this day helps bring awareness to the entire Seton Hall community that we are a University that embodies kindness, believes in servant leadership and wants to help as many people as possible.” Bellucci said. DOVE Director Michelle Peterson expressed her gratitude about DOVE being able to coordinate this year’s funds. “As I watched the total grow throughout the day and evening, I was overcome with gratitude and amazement. These funds will be used to expand our reach and enable us to serve more vulnerable people using more resources,” she writes in an email. “On behalf of our staff and volunteers, I offer my heartfelt thanks to University Advancement for organizing this initiative.” Seton Hall’s interim president, Dr. Mary Meehan, interim president at Seton Hall, explained why Giving Tuesday is important to participate in, and what it means for the University. “Giving Tuesday has become a national day for philanthropy, and so we join with countless other organizations in raising funds for important causes,” Meehan wrote in an email. “Clearly our own campus has many needs for which we raise money every day, but on Giving Tuesday it seems right to support people in the broader community.” According to the Seton Hall’s campaign page for Giving Tuesday, the University received $18,656 in monetary donations on Nov. 28. Although it is difficult to compare this total to previous years since collection methods were done differently, Bellucci said that there was improvement because the University received numerous new donors. Regardless, he was happy to see the amount of Pirate Pride shown from the community. Peterson said that DOVE plans to use the funds to support their toy and food drive, as well as their international services and carnivals for people with special needs. Hannah Sakha can be reached at hannah.sakha@student.shu.edu.
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