USM Success Stories Start with YOU

Since yesterday was Giving Tuesday, it only makes sense that today is "Thank You Wednesday!" We can't thank you enough for participating in USM's Giving Tuesday and raising a grand total of $31,538 - 5% above our goal! It was so wonderful to see the USM community - alumni, faculty, parents, staff, students, and friends come together and make a huge difference to our students. Whether you gave to scholarships or a specific program or fund, you are a huge driver in making this university and our communities great.  

Have a fantastic week and know that you lived up to the promise of Giving Tuesday. We did good, Huskies!

Larisa Ebinger
Assistant Director of Annual Giving
USM Foundation

Boy did you all come through for USM students today!!! We did it - we reached our $30,000 Giving Tuesday goal because of YOU. $30,000 makes a huge difference to the students here at USM and we thank you for that. 

And... it's only 4:30 PM. There are still 7 hours left until midnight, so let's keep it going! Everyone knows that Huskies never quit! You've proved that today.

How far could we get? Wouldn't it be amazing if we raised an additional $5,000 by midnight? I bet we can. 

So here's a challenge: Head on over to the USM Alumni Facebook page (USM parents, friends, faculty, and staff are ALWAYS welcome there), post your "unselfie" and tag 5 of your friends and spread the word. We have some great USM prizes left to give away and we want to give them to the folks who made this Giving Tuesday a success. Yes, we mean you.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 

So here it is... STRETCH GOAL: $35,000 by midnight. Spread the word! 

The day is finally here - Giving Tuesday! Thanks to several generous gifts this morning, we are now just $4,002 away from reaching our goal of $30,000! Thank you to all of you who have decided that education, our public universities, and our hardworking students are critically important and worthy of your generous support. We couldn't do what we do without you.

And... we have 13 hours left until our midnight deadline to reach our goal (and hopefully beyond!)! You can continue to support this cause by sharing the campaign on your social channels or by email or text using the buttons on the campaign home page.

Also, head on over to the Alumni Facebook page and share your "unselfie" to get a chance to win a blue USM holiday stocking with Champ the Husky inside. A great gift for the holidays! 

And here's a quick way to double your gift - Check with your employer to see if they have a matching gift program. Many do! 

If you're in Maine today, we hope you're staying safe and warm inside on this very wintry day!

Tomorrow is the big day! Right now, we are 73% of the way toward our $30,000 goal and we have less than $8,000 to raise for USM students and programs! Thank you for helping us get this far - we couldn't do it without you! Be sure to follow our progress tomorrow on the USM Alumni Facebook page where we'll have fun challenges and raffles for everyone who has supported our efforts so far. Be sure to share the campaign with others, and there is still time to create your own personal appeal video to help spread the word. Just click on the Advocates tab for more information.

Thank you! 

Dear donors,

Yesterday, I headed over to the Gorham campus to see the USM Theatre Department’s last showing of the play “The Love of the Nightingale.” The performance was superbly acted, powerful, and INTENSE. The theatre students I saw, from freshman to seniors were absolutely incredible.

It hits home for me every time I see our students in action – from theatre students to math majors to our future teachers and nurses – that many of these incredible students would not even be here at USM without the aid of scholarships. Scholarships made possible by donors like you.

As Thanksgiving nears, I want to thank you, our donors. You give not because you have a million dollars to spare. You donate your hard-earned money – from $5 to $25, $100 and more because you believe in the power of education and in the University of Southern Maine.

With 8 days to go until the end of our campaign on Giving Tuesday, we are 36% of the way toward our $30,000 goal and have raised over $10,000 in just 5 short weeks. That’s amazing!

Now it’s time to push forward and spread the word out to our networks and ask them to make a gift of any amount before midnight on Giving Tuesday! I know we can get there.

 Thank you for everything you do!

Larisa Ebinger

Assistant Director of Annual Giving

University of Southern Maine Foundation

With less than two weeks until the end of our campaign, we are 25% of the way there! Thank you for getting us this far, and please continue to share the campaign with your networks. USM students receive critical scholarships and enhanced learning thanks to donors like you! 

Are you an advocate yet? Go to our campaign page, click on the Advocates tab and become a Husky Hero! It's easy to share your USM story and let your friends and family know why a gift to USM this holiday season is a game changer. 

We'll keep you updated on our progress as we get closer to Giving Tuesday! 

As of today, we are already 17% of the way toward our Giving Tuesday goal of raising $30,000 for USM students. Thank you! Donors like you make so much possible. 

Alumnus Nicolas Mesloh '19, a Coast Guard veteran, scholarship recipient and an aspiring dentist recently shared his thanks to donors who made his studies at USM possible. He also spoke passionately about the fact that he would be able to serve those in communities that needed him most, rather than making a decision based on who could pay him the most. Scholarships change lives in so many ways!

Please continue your support by sharing this campaign with your friends and family. The gift of education changes lives, and YOU make that happen. 

Thanks again. 

We're off to a great start toward our GivingTuesday goal of raising $30,000 for USM students. THANK YOU for your support. It is invaluable.

If you'd like to do more, it's easy to share the campaign by email, text, and on your social media channels, and you can even become an "advocate" and help raise funds and awareness through your own personal story. 

Do you have a USM success story to share? Did scholarships allow you to attend USM? Did you have great classroom experiences that propelled you to success? Why not film your own short video on your phone, share your story, and have an even greater impact?! Just go to the Advocates tab on the campaign page and click "Create your Personal Plea." You'll be able to see how many clicks your story gets and how much money you've raised. 

As they say, "a rising tide lifts all boats" and YOU are making so much possible for hardworking and deserving students. 

Thank you!