Giving Back and Doing Good

A University of Maryland student club collaborating with residents of a Guatemalan village to start a community garden has big ambitions. But for months, Terps for International Agriculture Science members have been talking with them online only about revitalizing damaged land, installing a water pump and establishing a composting system. 

Joining the effort in person in El Amparo would make a huge difference, said club President Kelsey Genovese ’25.

“(We hope to) have this chance to experience it firsthand, be able to see a new environment and work with the people there and help them face challenges,” she said. 

It’s just one of 12 projects at UMD seeking support this Giving Tuesday, a global day of philanthropy held annually the week after Thanksgiving. The Terp community is encouraged to give back and “Do Good” over the 24-hour period by donating to student crowdfunding campaigns and other campus initiatives.

“Advancing the University of Maryland as the nation’s first Do Good Campus, we are empowering our broader Terp community to reach for transformative change,” said Tania D. Mitchell, associate provost for community engagement. “We’ve been eager to highlight Terp-designed, hands-on projects that have real-world impact while sharing our pride in the students, faculty and staff driving Maryland’s efforts to do a world of good.”

Giving Tuesday, which launched worldwide in 2012, last year raised a record $3.6 billion in the U.S. from 36.1 million participants. UMD contributed $244,328.17 to that total from 1,256 gifts.

Terps hope to keep that momentum going this year, with student projects offering a range of opportunities for donors to help tackle society’s grand challenges. Those include Team Crest, a Gemstone Honors College research group studying renewable ocean energy; the student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architecture, which strives to educate about the stewardship and planning of cultural and natural environments; and Team AGWA, another Gemstone group aiming to predict saltwater intrusion and its effects in Maryland.

“In order to ensure the agriculture industry of Maryland is able to stay strong in the face of what the changing climate is looking like, it’s really important that (farmers have) support from a variety of different resources,” said Team AGWA member Taryn Reinhart ’27, who along with her teammates would use donations to develop surveys for farmers, make a website, and fund the hardware and servers needed to create predictive models.

To boost the giving spirit further, the annual student challenge will award $250 to any student organization that reaches 100 unique donors, plus another $500 for the one with the most donors overall. While the challenge will end after 24 hours, the crowdfunding will continue for a total of 30 days to assist students in reaching their fundraising goals.

Besides the student projects, Terps can help make a difference through gifts to the Do Good Campus Fund, which fuels hands-on projects that reimagine learning and serve humanity. They can also support scholarships and the student experience, like through funds for the C.D. Mote, Jr. Incentive Awards Program or Fostering Terp Success; urgent campus needs, like through the Campus Pantry or Student Crisis Fund; or other specific college, school and unit priorities. All gifts will contribute to Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless, a $2.5 billion fundraising effort launched last month.

“We’re in a climate where everyone needs support,” Annual Giving Manager Bria Bennett said. “We’re pushing the needle forward to help our students—whether that be books, tuition, food or more.”