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Show Your Support for Schools, Programs and Students on Pitt Day of Giving

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Last year, when PhD student Elise Silva worried that she would not be able to keep her lights on or her cupboards stocked, Pitt’s Student Emergency Assistance Fund ensured that her house would not go dark and her family would not go hungry.

“It is a generosity that can never be fully repaid and certainly will never be forgotten,” said Silva, who’s studying literacy in the Department of English and is a single parent to her daughter Miriam. Silva’s background is in English teaching and information science. A former librarian, her research revolves around how students use source material in writing contexts. She is also pursuing a sub-specialty in digital humanities.

Dozens of students like Silva have received similar assistance through the emergency fund, thanks to the 1,175 donors who have contributed $276,414 to date.

If you’d like to help, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, is the day to do it: Pitt Day of Giving (PDoG) donations go further than any other day of the year. Schools and programs compete in friendly challenges to win additional funds; last year, students at the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, offered their PDoG challenge winnings to the emergency fund cause.

Others areas of greatest priority for PDoG include:

  • The Pitt Fund, which allows the chancellor and senior staff to support the areas of greatest need;
  • the General Scholarship Fund, which supports students whose ability and ambition exceed their financial means; and
  • Panthers Forward, an initiative designed to support student success and reduce the burden of student debt.

If you can’t donate, there are more ways to get involved, including participating in the Color Your Cathy Challenge. Students, alumni and friends are invited to use their creativity and imagination to color a Cathedral of Learning card and post their creation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #PittDayofGiving. The winners, who will be announced on Feb. 23, get to choose which Pitt school, program or student organization will receive an extra $500 in PDoG challenge funds.

Visit the Pitt Day of Giving website to learn more and follow along on social media using #PittDayofGiving.

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