Wear Black, Give Back sets 24-hour giving record for UNO

Annual tradition sees $553,702 in generosity across campus

Wear Black, Give Back, the giving day for the University of Nebraska at Omaha, now holds a record for the single largest number of donors giving to UNO in a 24-hour period, continuing a streak set by the previous two annual events.

A total of 2,761 individuals and organizations made 3,794 gifts totaling $553,702 to support students across UNO. The philanthropic event was centered at givingday.unomaha.edu where complete results can be found. The event began at noon on Oct. 12 and concluded at noon on Oct. 13.

“As our Maverick fans near and far demonstrated, the support of a passionate group gets us to victory,” said UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA. “Because so many individuals and organizations pitched in, we were able to raise important funds for scholarships, colleges, programs, student group activities and so much more. This giving event was another clear display of how Mavericks help Mavericks.”

Wear Black, Give Back 2022 sees records, successes

Now in its third year, Wear Black Give Back saw new giving records and experienced an outpouring of support for UNO. Event facts include:

• More than 517 faculty and staff members made gifts totaling $44,430, besting the 2021 total of 320 givers.
• More than 475 current students contributed more than $11,000, more than double the 2021 total of 231 student donors.
• Donors from 45 U.S. states and nine countries participated.
• Gifts ranged from $5 to $100,000.
• More than 60 lead sponsors provided more than $275,000 in event challenge gifts.

UNO student organizations celebrate generosity

This year, more than 57 student organizations collectively raised more than $34,000 for their programs, activities and service projects. Last year, 35 groups raised just more than $21,000.

MavRadio, the university’s broadcast media organization, participated once again in fundraising and provided news coverage throughout Wear Black, Give Back.

“Wear Black, Give Back is a great opportunity for MavRadio, not only to raise much needed money for the station, but it is also a chance to collaborate with peers and faculty members on both television and radio,” MavRadio General Manager Austin Ulmer said. “It is a great chance to display our skills learned in the classroom and apply them in different ways for a rewarding outcome.”

UNO Senior Pauline Dulang said participating in Wear Black, Give Back with the MavRadio crew was an incredibly rewarding experience.

“It was bittersweet since it’s my last year with MavRadio,” Dulang said. “The sweetest part being that the UNO Fund’s young partnership with MavRadio and UNO TV will only get better from this point forward. It’s a blessing to have someone on campus believe in our small program, people who are willing to take a chance on fresh learners and make students feel valuable. I’d rarely get this opportunity anywhere else.”

Wear Black, Give Back used social media and other online communication to encourage philanthropic support for all areas of the university. Participants shared why they were giving and why UNO matters to them using #WearBlackGiveBack.

During last year’s event in 2021, more than $362,000 was given to support all areas of UNO.

Contact: Robb Crouch, senior director of public relations, 402-458-1142, robb.crouch@nufoundation.org