UC Riverside is giving donors a new way to show their support with the first UCR Give Day in April.

Departments and groups interested in participating and raising funds to support students, research, and programs are urged to sign up by February 28 for the April 6 fundraiser.

This will be UCR’s first stand-alone campaign that focuses on supporting campus programs. The university also participates annually in Giving Tuesday in late November—an international fundraising day open to all types of charities.

Crystal Sankey, director of UCR’s Office of Annual Giving, said this will allow participants to highlight the work they do to expand opportunities for students.

“To be able to cut through that (Giving Tuesday) noise is going to be really beneficial for UCR programs to get the support they need,” she said. 

Groups interested in participating can submit an application for their project to Annual Giving, which will review and approve all requests. Projects must have a foundation fund established to receive gifts. Applications should include a project description and how the funds will be used.

“The planned date, which Annual Giving hopes to make a yearly event, also coincides with Highlander history in a way that allows for some fun tie-ins,” Sankey said.

April 6 is National Tartan Day, and the event will run for one day, nine hours, and 54 minutes, commemorating the university’s 1954 founding year. As a result, UCR Give Day will start April 6 at midnight and run until 9:54 a.m., April 7.