It started as a survey question to first-year students: “Have you purchased all the textbooks needed for the semester?”

When 300 students answered “no” on that retention survey, Lynn “Chick” Blue, like many donors to the university, took it upon herself to do something. Blue, vice provost and dean of Academic Services and Information Technology, established a fund in 2013 to help students with financial emergencies buy necessary books and supplies. Since that time, donor gifts have expanded the fund and made it possible for students to receive much-needed help.

Blue said she was “surprised and saddened” when she learned about the many “no” answers to that survey question. “It’s critical to make the classroom a level playing field, and that means all students need to have the same materials.”

Since then, the Student Textbook and Supplies Fund has helped hundreds of students. The fund and another to support the Educational Support Program’s book fund were the focus of an alumni fundraising event last fall and a university campaign on #GivingTuesday, a national dedicated day for nonprofit giving.

The Alumni Leadership Event, held November 5, raised more than $13,000, and 71 donors gave $3,280 on #GivingTuesday. Jill Dooley, senior director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, said the campaign presents a great example of how one person can make a difference.

“#GivingTuesday allows us to look beyond the rush of that time of year and focus on our legacy and the kind of impact a single individual can make when multiplied by many,” Dooley said.

Fred Davison, ’69, attended the November 5 event and said the energy in the room was amazing. “The group of people there was very committed to the university and very committed to this cause,” said Davison, past Alumni Association president and board member.

“Whatever their donation was, people felt like it was making an immediate impact. Getting more people involved in funds like this makes sense, then the commitment doesn’t need to be so large.”

Blue said the Student Textbook and Supplies Fund “strikes a chord” with nearly everyone who went to college. “Many of us who went to college remember how much books cost,” she said.

Thanks to donor support, nearly 300 students received money for books and supplies from the fund during the fall 2014 semester, and 150 students were helped during the first three months of this year.

Blue said the reasons students gave for not purchasing the tools they need, like a book or lab coat, varied.

“It’s often that they can’t afford it, but sometimes the reasons are complicated by being a first-generation student and not knowing they needed it, or not knowing that there are resources available to help,” she said.

Laker family helps during crisis

First-year student Hailey Stanford, of Hudsonville, found out that her new Laker community was supportive and helpful during a time when she needed it most.

Stanford’s mother, Renee Stanford, was killed in a car accident in Jamestown Township October 26. She was 42 and a single mother to Hailey, her older sister and two younger brothers.

Blue said, “When people’s lives change in an instant, there are so many people at Grand Valley who ask, ‘How can we help?’”

“When people’s lives change in an instant, there are so many people at Grand Valley who ask, ‘How can we help?’” — Lynn "Chick" Blue

With a few phone calls, Stanford received funds from the Student Textbook and Supplies Fund, and other support that helped solidify her decision to continue her classes at Grand Valley and live on campus.

“I did think about moving home to lessen the expense of going to school but I knew that my mom wouldn’t want me to do that,” said Stanford, who is considering a career in health professions.

Stanford said she realizes that Grand Valley is more than a community, it’s a Laker family that extends to donors, faculty members, classmates and her supervisors at her campus job in Admissions.

“When I think about how much Grand Valley and the university’s supporters have done to make this easier, including money for books, it’s one less thing I have to worry about,” Stanford said.

Giving Matters

New scholarship honors founders

The vision of Grand Valley’s founders was to help give students access to an excellent education in West Michigan. To honor that vision, the Seidman family will match all gifts to the GVSU Founders Endowed Scholarship, up to $25,000, in honor of their parents, Bill and Sally Seidman.

The GVSU Founders Endowed Scholarship honors the original 300 founders of the university and gifts to the scholarship ensure their lasting legacy. To make a gift to the GVSU Founders Endowed Scholarship, visit www.gvsu.edu/giving/founders.

Donor wall for new science building

The university’s growth in the STEM disciplines and faculty research creates a need for additional laboratories and learning spaces. The new P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science, which will open this fall, expands Grand Valley’s capabilities to educate students in STEM fields and health sciences. In April, the building was named in honor of former dean and longtime faculty member Doug Kindschi.

Additional funding is needed for what goes on inside the building, including research and other professional development opportunities for students. To celebrate donors and their support, the Science Laboratory Building will feature a donor wall. Any size gift to the CLAS Margin of Excellence for Science fund will be recognized on the wall.

Visit www.gvsu.edu/giving/sciencelab to make a gift and learn more about the building.

New alumni gifts triple through December

First-time alumni donors can triple their impact this year as gifts up to $500 to any fund will be matched 2:1, meaning a gift of $50 becomes $150.

Visit www.gvsu.edu/giving/findafund to find a fund to support; the 2:1 match goes through December 31 for alumni who have not given to Grand Valley in the past.

Alumni giving is the key to Grand Valley’s continued success. This 2:1 match was created to encourage more alumni to show their Laker pride this year by supporting the university with a gift of any size.

Visit www.gvsu.edu/giving/alumnimatch for more information.