RIT set to show love to its donors on Feb. 14

‌

Tim Plumadore ’18 (business administration and management), Kaitie Spaude ’18 (journalism and media arts and technology) and Laura Gordon ’18 (photographic and imaging technology) on TAG Day 2016.

RIT is looking to spread a little extra love this Valentine’s Day by placing more than 500 red tags around campus to show the impact of donor support and provide the campus community an opportunity to say “thanks.”

Thank a Giver (TAG) Day is set to kick off this Tuesday, Feb. 14, for the fourth straight year. In an effort to highlight the importance of donor contributions to the RIT experience, red tags will be placed on things around campus that were made possible through gifts to RIT.

“There’s very little on campus that isn’t touched by donor support. Buildings, labs, artwork, and of course students, are all supported through the generosity of those who give to RIT,” said Fredyne Frey ’09 (communication and media technologies), the senior associate director of the Fund for RIT. “We want to take the time to highlight the importance of philanthropy to the RIT experience and show donors the great impact that they’ve had.”

In addition to showing donors the impact of their support, TAG Day provides students with an opportunity to say thank you. Donor appreciation activities will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge and will include writing thank you notes and posting thank you selfies to social media using the hashtag #RITTAGDAY. T-shirts will be up for grabs for students who participate.

Last year, RIT saw 13,602 gifts made by individual donors, the majority of which came from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends. ROAR Day, a 24-hour window during the fall semester where members of the RIT community were encouraged to give back to their favorite area of RIT, secured record-breaking gifts from more than 3,200 donors that totaled more than $146,000.

Frey also added that since 77 percent of full-time undergraduate students receive scholarship and financial aid, TAG Day is a time to show how the values of education and philanthropy often go hand-in-hand.

“So many opportunities have been created through donor support where they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to exist,” said Frey. “We want to educate the campus community so hopefully they, too, will give back when they are able to.”

Follow #RITTAGDAY on Feb. 14 to see how much donors mean to the RIT community. For more information about TAG Day, email Freddie Frey or call 585-475-4930.