In one 24-hour period last month, UB alumni and friends met a challenge that unlocked $25,000 from the UB Alumni Association Board of Directors.

UB held its third annual UB Day of Giving from noon May 16 to noon May 17, with a goal of attaining gifts in any amount from 750 alumni and friends. When that goal was achieved, the UBAA board kicked in an additional $25,000.

“When all was said and done after the 24 hours, we exceeded the goal by 15.5 percent with 866 gifts,” says Geoffrey Bartlett, assistant vice president for annual giving. “Though dollar amount wasn’t a criteria of the challenge, we’re equally pleased with the total for the day — just under $98,000, not including the UBAA’s generous challenge.”

According to the Annual Giving Network, giving days have become increasingly common as a way of creating awareness about the impact of philanthropy, engaging donors and volunteers, and raising money. Three out of four educational institutions report they have held or are planning to hold a giving day, the AGN reports.

These efforts tend to succeed through excitement built through social media, pre-campaign communication and a challenge — such as the one posed by the UBAA board — along with the added pressure from the time constraint, Bartlett says. “Alumni and friends want to help UB, and concentrating the outreach on one day, with a challenge at stake, makes it easy and fun,” he says.