New OUAA campaign asks to pledge a penny, support a scholarship

When it comes to university and scholarship fundraising, every gift counts. This is the theme behind Oakland University Alumni Association’s new penny pledge social fundraising campaign.

The OU Alumni Scholarship Penny Pledge seeks to enlist the aid of a wide base of alumni and friends to participate by pledging a penny per person involved. For example, if 1,000 people join the campaign, each person will donate 1,000 pennies or $10. Donors can also set a personal limit to their gift.

“We believe this is one of the easiest ways ever for any alumni donor to participate,” said Starr Cornell, director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving. “The campaign proceeds go toward the OUAA Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to OU students. The penny pledge will also help us engage many more alumni, especially recent graduates, who can now afford to participate in a fundraiser.”

The campaign is the first of its kind and seeks to grow the collective amount donated, by utilizing popular forms of social media. This innovative fundraising technique ensures that every person and every penny truly does count. 

“We’re especially excited to make this opportunity available for all of our alumni because even a $5 donation will make a difference by growing every other donor’s pledge by another penny,” Cornell continued.

The Penny Pledge is the brainchild of a Michigan startup company, Kiindly.com, which was founded by four friends in 2011. Co-Founder and Rochester Hills native Adam Valentine feels especially close to the Oakland community. Both his father and sister are graduates of Oakland’s education program. 

“The penny pledge is the first social fundraiser that leverages the power of the group to make a difference,” Valentine said. “Most other fundraising technologies allow you to share a fundraising opportunity through social tools. The difference with Kiindly’s Penny Pledge is that the fundraiser itself is social and harnesses the power of a collective.”

The OUAA provides a number of scholarships that make a big impact in the lives of Oakland students. To date, the OUAA has awarded more than $1 million in scholarships. The money for these scholarships is provided through generous donations and revenue earned from OUAA events and programs. For more information about OUAA scholarships, view the website at oualumni.com/OUAAscholarships.

The penny pledge campaign will run through Friday, June 29. For more information or to make a pledge, view the website at oupledge.com.