Appalachian’s 24-hour fundraiser wins CASE Grand Award and sets the stage for this year’s #iBackAPP event

Posted March 17, 2015 at 5:48 p.m.

BOONE—Appalachian State University’s award-winning #iBackAPP Day, a 24-hour fund drive coordinated by The Appalachian Fund, is set to return May 1.

The day-long fund drive was held last year to generate pride in Appalachian, increase the alumni participation rate and raise support for The Appalachian Fund, the university’s unrestricted annual fund.

Last year’s campaign won a Grand Award from CASE, the Council for the Support of Education in its Alumni Relations Fundraising Project, Event or Program category.

The campaign began with a goal of engaging 500 donors in the 24-hour period. When the clock wound down to zero, a total of 1,263 donors, including alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff, had contributed $161,963.78 to The Appalachian Fund. Forty-four percent of the contributors were first-time donors to The Appalachian Fund. Contributions came from 32 states, with the average individual gift totaling $78.36. The event set a new Appalachian record for number of gifts received in a single day.

“Our success was in large part due to the many champions who stepped forward on May 1 to show their black and gold pride, spread the word and make a gift,” said Susan Pettyjohn, vice chancellor for university advancement. “We are grateful for all that they do for Appalachian.” This year’s #iBackAPP event will begin at 12:01 a.m. on May 1. Its goal is 1,500 donors.

For more information, visit http://ibackapp.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.