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Season of giving begins, fundraising initiatives offer many ways to make a difference
Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become known worldwide as a day to support non-profit organizations.

After Black Friday and Cyber Monday help us find gifts for family and friends, Giving Tuesday offers an opportunity to help touch the lives of people we may never meet.

Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become known worldwide as a day to support non-profit organizations that make a positive impact on others. With a variety of active fundraising campaigns, the University of Mississippi offers many different opportunities to make a difference for thousands of people now and for years to come.

Current initiatives, which can be browsed at https://nowandever.olemiss.edu and https://ignite.olemiss.edu, include new scholarships assisting deserving students, programs supporting Mississippi public schools, scientific research fueling discovery and economic investment in the state, and entrepreneurship strategies helping small businesses.

“The impact of every dollar given to Ole Miss is almost immeasurable,” said Charlotte Parks, UM’s vice chancellor for development. “Nearly 80 percent of our students receive some form of financial aid. The support we can provide to our students uplifts families, communities and the regional economy as a whole.”

In fact, a 2019 economic impact report documented that the University of Mississippi provides $2.9 billion of annual economic benefit for the state, enabling more than 43,000 jobs across Mississippi.

In mid-November, UM launched the largest comprehensive campaign in Mississippi history to raise $1.5 billion in private support and increase the flagship university’s endowment to $1 billion. Now & Ever: The Campaign for Ole Miss will strengthen the university for decades to come.

On a smaller scale, UM’s crowdfunding website, Ignite Ole Miss, attracts a wide range of donors to a variety of projects, from a student who gives $10 to buy student teachers school supplies to an alumnus who gives thousands to help fund a scholarship in memory of a beloved professor.

Giving Tuesday donations can be made online at https://www.umfoundation.com/givingtuesday and https://ignite.olemiss.edu, via phone by calling 662-915-1586, or by mail to the UM Foundation, with the fund noted in the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655.

By Angela Atkins/University Development

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