Student causes solicit funds

Student groups struggling to sustain their programs have found a new audience to help fund their causes: university alumni.

Although many alumni make regular donations to the university, they previously have not been able to direct their money to specific student-led causes. But after the university's alumni association office launched iMpact Maryland — an online fundraising campaign that allows student groups to corral alumni for private donations — two weeks ago, student activists said they have found a new outlet to aid them in carrying out their campaigns in the face of dwindling funds.

After the Student Government Association cut funding for several student groups last semester, leaders of these clubs said they found it increasingly difficult to find sources of revenue. While Alyson Goff, coordinator for student philanthropy, said iMpact Maryland did not directly stem from the SGA's cuts, it provides students with an opportunity to reach out to a previously untapped audience.

"Our students and our young alumni were telling us they wanted transparency," Goff said. "They wanted to support specific causes instead of just donating to the university and not really knowing where their money was going."

Officials were inspired to start the program after a 2009 university study found many alumni were interested in learning about and contributing to student causes. Since iMpact Maryland is still a new endeavor, only four organizations are participating in the pilot program: Terpoets, Maryland Equestrian Club, Engineers Without Borders and the Public Health Garden. The groups' online donation requests range from $500 to $5,000 to cover various costs, including a Public Health garden bioretention area and a pedestrian bridge in Ethiopia for Engineers Without Borders.

Student leaders said the initiative allows interested alumni to learn more about their causes, which may help them develop a solid support system in the future.

"I know how important it is to connect to alumni because they're always so willing to help student groups, especially if they were part of an organization," said Maryland Equestrian Club fundraising Vice President Courtney Feeley. "There wasn't really a program or a way to do that before, so I thought I would definitely take advantage of this website and see how it went."

Feeley said her club's request of $500 will go toward the group's operational costs, which include caring for the horses at the campus farm.

The website also provides students with a place to offer more information about their causes by providing them links to individual group websites and social media profiles. One of the most exciting aspects of the program, student leaders said, is the groups themselves determine their own campaign goals and marketing strategies.

"We're always looking for avenues for funding," said Terpoets Vice President Jonah Potasznik, adding his group's donations will go toward paying for future events. "This seemed like a great way to personalize those methods of funding."

Although students said they will not be able to determine how successful their fundraising efforts were before next month, leaders said simply being a part of the program provided them with another way to publicize their causes.

"We're really looking forward to seeing how it pans out and hope that people who are unfamiliar with us will learn about us through iMpact Maryland," said Terpoets president Jihan Asher.

Student organizations can submit their applications through the website impact.umd.edu.

marcot@umdbk.com