WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University once again topped itself during Wednesday's annual Day of Giving, raising $41.6 million in 24 hours.

That total, contributed by 21,420 gifts, beat Purdue's record of $37.6 million from 18,663 donations during its Day of Giving campaign in April 2018. Purdue had touted the $37.6 million figure as a record for any university's one-day campaign drive.

Purdue's Day of Giving has become a bit of a tradition for alumni since launching in 2014, said Amy Noah, Purdue's vice president of development. So has making the effort bigger each year, she said, as Purdue schools, colleges, 210 student groups and specific campus projects found creative ways to connect with alumni, friends and staff to capitalize on the Day of Giving for their own unit.

Since starting, the social media-driven Day of Giving has brought in more money than the previous year, starting with $7.5 million in 2014's version.

In all, Purdue Day of Giving has generated $146.9 million in six years, including $13.7 million in 2015; $18.3 million in 2016; $28.2 million in 2017; and $37.6 million in 2018.

“What started as a test case in 2014 has become, in many ways, the heart of our philanthropy efforts at Purdue,” Noah said in a statement released Thursday morning. “Purdue Day of Giving shows just how special – how willing to pay it forward – our Purdue family is. Now, thousands of individuals, along with foundations and corporations, choose to make an impact on this day through their giving. We are ever grateful.”

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According to Purdue figures, donations ranged from $10 to $7 million on Wednesday. The $7 million was an anonymous gift to the School of Mechanical Engineering. Gifts came from donors in 60 countries, topping 58 countries in 2018.

The Day of Giving’s leaderboard showed that the School of Mechanical Engineering, riding that $7 million anonymous gift, raised the most money, with $9.4 million. Eleven colleges or groups on campus raised more than $1 million.

In all, 70 units reported donations.

“Again this year, the Purdue family has come together in a one-day outpouring of generosity and spirit that is unmatched in the entire country,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said in a university release. “We are so grateful to the organizers and to everyone who donated for supporting this remarkable day so wholeheartedly.”

In the past two years, Day of Giving donations amounted to 8 percent of overall giving during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Purdue raised $352 million in fiscal year 2017 and $451.5 million in fiscal year 2018.

Reach Dave Bangert at 765-420-5258 or at dbangert@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @davebangert.

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The following story appeared Tuesday at jconline.com:

Purdue Day of Giving: Can it top record of $37M in 24 hours from 2018?

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Will Purdue set yet another record during it’s sixth annual Day of Giving, a 24-hour tradition that has raised more than $105 million during its first five years?

Amy Noah, Purdue’s vice president for development, plays the question conservatively, concerning whether this Day of Giving will top the $37.6 million from 18,663 donations during the 2018 event.

“One dollar more than last year,” Noah said, laughing, as her office prepped Tuesday morning for the first donation just after midnight Wednesday.

OK, so is that sandbagging, as her boss, Purdue President Mitch Daniels, routinely and publicly accuses her of doing?

“I would say we’re not sandbagging,” Noah said. “I will say, we’re very encouraged, because this has become a bit of a tradition that our alums look to and build toward. So, we’ve been having conversations with folks for months who say, ‘Well, I’ll call you on Day of Giving.’ So, we hope to raise as much this year as we did last year.”

► DAY OF GIVING, WHAT IT IS: Started in 2014 as a way to generate a buzz about giving to Purdue, Day of Giving has turned into a social-media driven 24 hours – 40 million social media impressions in 2018, according to the university – that gives alumni and donors challenges intended to juice giving to particular schools, colleges and student groups on the West Lafayette campus.

This year’s Day of Giving will include the university’s regional campuses, Purdue Fort Wayne and Purdue Northwest, and the university’s online arm, Purdue Global.

► WHEN IS IT: This year’s Day of Giving is midnight to midnight Wednesday, driven on social media with the hashtag #PurdueDayofGiving.

► HOW MUCH HAS BEEN RAISED: In 2014, the first year, Day of Giving brought in $7.5 million. Since then, Purdue has raised $13.7 million in 2015; $18.3 million in 2016; $28.2 million in 2017; and $37.6 million in 2018.

Purdue touts Day of Giving totals in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 as the most successful 24-hour fundraising campaigns in high education for those years.

► HOW THE GIVING STACKS UP: Day of Giving donations amounted to 8 percent of overall giving during fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Purdue raised $352 million in fiscal year 2017 and $451.5 million in fiscal year 2018.

► WHAT’S NEW: In addition to challenges on social media – examples: first, 150th and 1,869th gifts of the campaign – Purdue has set up what it’s calling “Goosechase.” The scavenger hunt will include 150 spots on campus, in honor of Purdue’s 150th anniversary, in a variation of a scavenger hunt for points that lead to donations for student groups and other units. (The Goosechase app is available wherever you get apps by searching for “Purdue Day of Giving 2019.”) As of Tuesday, more than 1,000 people were logged in as participants.

► WHAT YOU CAN DO: Noah said her team will be situated at the Dauch Alumni Center, 403 W. Wood St., throughout Day of Giving. She invited people to stop by at any time during the Day of Giving to see what Purdue is doing.

“You’ll be able to find us,” Noah said. “You’ll be able to hear us. Probably from the parking lot. … Starting at midnight, it’ll be foot-on-the-gas for 24 hours around here.”

Reach Dave Bangert at 765-420-5258 or at dbangert@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @davebangert.

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