PROVIDENCE – There is a change of culture occurring at Rhode Island College, and results of the state college’s annual giving day on Wednesday is further evidence of that shift.
RIC’s annual One Bold Day of Giving 24-hour fundraising initiative raised $175,261 from 740 donors, both new records for the program and broke last year’s benchmark in the process. Last year, RIC’s giving day brought in $150,000 from 587 donors, around 250% higher than the college’s 2022 giving day, RIC Foundation Annual Giving Officer Jeanemarie L. Pariseau told Providence Business News on Thursday.
According to the donation board, RIC’s annual fund, which helps students with scholarships so they can build academic momentum rather than worry about debt after college, received $44,900 during the giving day on Wednesday. The Joseph George Ray Portuguese American Archives Endowed Fund at RIC received $25,370, while the Faculty of Arts and Sciences got $8,254.
Various local companies, such as Dimeo Construction Co., University Orthopedics Inc., Bank Rhode Island and Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, all provided financial gifts toward RIC’s One Bold Day of Giving, as well.
Pariseau said the foundation has worked with various deans, students and faculty members to create a “culture of philanthropy” at RIC to increase its donor base. Wednesday’s fundraising success for the college was proof of that, she said. For example, RIC President Jack R. Warner and his wife Celeste – a RIC alum – donated $10,000 toward Wednesday’s One Bold Day of Giving with 100 alumni donating to the cause.
Pariseau also said the college encouraged RIC’s senior class to contribute. A senior student, she said, if he or she donated $10 received special “philanthropy cords” to wear with their caps and gowns on graduation day to teach them about the purpose of giving back to their school.
“It shows that we’re moving the needle here,” Pariseau said. “Folks are starting to realize the importance of giving back and we’re getting our message of philanthropy across. The culture is changing here and it’s a very positive place to be.”
Pariseau and Marybeth A. Campellone, RIC Foundation’s senior director of development, also confirmed that Wednesday’s giving day is a continuation of positive momentum the college has seen recently after years of being on a downward trend. Along with RIC establishing
the Hope Scholarship program and its
Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies – led by former U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin – RIC has also seen progress with its enrollment it
hasn’t seen in a few years.
According to RIC’s enrollment data, the college’s undergraduate enrollment went up from 4,719 students last academic year to 4,786. This comes after four straight years of declines.
Giving is still continuing at RIC. Pariseau says financial gifts are still being received by the college as of Thursday. Individuals who missed out on contributing can visit
RIC’s giving website. Pariseau says the One Bold Day of Giving mark is expected to rise within the next week.
Campellone also emphasized that financial donations toward RIC are vital to help support a student demographic that differs from most other local colleges, where students have a greater financial need and some balancing education while working regular jobs.
“We have students who have to think if they have enough to put gas in their cars or getting something to eat,” Campellone said. “There’s some students who may have to take a semester off because they have to pay rent. Your money is going directly to the students and trying to elevate their experience here more positively. We’re trying to remove barriers.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
