Q. What is Rock the Tower?
Rock the Tower is our 24-hour day of giving when alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends come together to show their overwhelming support of Converse. Gifts received during Rock the Tower 2025 will benefit The Converse Fund, which supports scholarships, academics, student success and wellness, athletic programs and more -- all the things that make Converse so special.
Q. When is it?
Rock the Tower will take place on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
Q. What forms of donations are accepted?
You can easily make your gift online, where you can pay with a credit/debit card, PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, or even DAF Pay to give from your Donor Advised Fund! You can also mail a gift by sending it to Converse University Institutional Advancement, 580 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302. For your gift to count towards our Rock the Tower total goals, be sure it is postmarked by November 6, 2025.
Q. Will I receive a receipt for tax purposes?
Yes. You will automatically receive an emailed receipt acknowledging your gift.
Q. Is my Rock the Tower contribution tax deductible?
Yes, your gift is entirely tax deductible. You will receive an email confirmation that may serve as your receipt for tax purposes.
Q. Is there a minimum gift?
There is a $5 minimum donation. We have credit card processing fees and administrative costs to cover, but we’ve kept these as low as possible so that everyone can participate. Gifts of any amount make a difference and will be counted toward the Rock the Tower total.
Q. Where does my Rock the Tower gift go?
All Rock the Tower 2025 gifts will go to The Converse Fund, which supports scholarships, academics, student success and wellness, athletic programs and more -- all the things that make Converse so special. The challenges facing higher education are real, but together, we can ensure that Converse continues to deliver on its promise of a transformative, student-focused education.
Q. Will my early gift help populate the leaderboards?
Yes! Gifts made in advance of Rock the Tower will be displayed on the leaderboard when the site goes live.
Q. Can I participate even though I didn’t graduate from Converse?
Of course - all are welcome! Parents, community partners, and friends are all encouraged to participate. Collectively, gifts to The Converse Fund fuel the resilience of our university, strengthen our ability to face headwinds, and ensure that future generations can thrive at Converse.
Q. What is GiveCampus?
GiveCampus is a giving platform that partners with Converse to help us raise money, engage and steward our wonderful donors, and manage advocates quickly and efficiently.
Q. Is my payment secure?
Absolutely! Rock the Tower is facilitated by GiveCampus, a company that has partnered with Stripe, a PCI Service Provider Level 1 (the most stringent level of certification possible) to process all gifts. Read through Stripe's security documentation online.
Q. What are these credit card fees?
For secure, online gifts, GiveCampus requires a 3.2% donation and processing fee. You have the option to cover these fees, which will ensure that Converse receives the full amount of your amazing gift for Rock the Tower! Most donors choose to cover fees, but if you do not want to the fees will be deducted from your total gift amount.
Q. What if my favorite fund isn't listed as an option?
This year, we have chosen to focus Rock the Tower entirely on The Converse Fund, which provides critical, unrestricted funding for our campus. Your support is not just important — it is essential. The challenges facing higher education are real, but together, we can ensure that Converse continues to deliver on its promise of a transformative, student-focused education.
If you would still like to make a gift to an area outside of The Converse Fund, visit www.converse.edu/giving for more designation options. We are so grateful for your support, but only gifts to The Converse Fund will count towards Rock the Tower 2025.
Q. What if I already made a gift to Converse this year?
Thank you for being part of the Converse family! We appreciate your commitment and encourage you to make an additional gift of any size on November 6. We are also grateful for any help you can offer to promote Rock the Tower to others. We have created sample email and social media posts to help you do this easily, which are located in our Advocate Toolkit.
Q. I've made my gift to Rock the Tower and I still want to help. What more can I do?
You are quite the Converse supporter! Please help us spread the word about #RocktheTower by sharing images and messages in our Advocate Toolkit on your social media accounts, emails to classmates, and texts to friends. If you sign-up to be an Advocate (it’s quick and easy!) then we can celebrate you and track your number of clicks and resulting dollars raised on our Rock the Tower website!
Q. Can I use my employer's matching gifts funds?
Yes! We strongly encourage you to take advantage of your employer's generosity to enhance the impact of your support for Converse. Check our Ways to Give page for more information.
Q. Whom do I contact with questions about Rock the Tower?
You can reach our team at giving@converse.edu or 864.577.2045.