If you really love CSU, and strive to do everything you can to make it a better place to learn and grow, you have to be excited about the fourth annual Love Your State Day of Giving, set for Thursday, April 19.
From very modest roots, Love Your State Day of Giving has grown into an enormously powerful salute to everything that makes CSU great. After raising $20,000 from 766 donors in its inaugural year in 2015, Love Your State last year raised $221,747 on gifts from 3,038 donors around the country. It’s a 24-hour party that celebrates the very best of CSU.
“Love Your State Day of Giving is such a powerful example of collective impact. Each year, our Ram family shows their love for CSU and all that it offers, by giving back,” said Kim Tobin, vice president for University Advancement. “This year, thanks to the generosity of donors, we have more challenge gifts than ever that allow us to multiply our efforts. We look forward to seeing the amazing outpouring of support on Love Your State Day of Giving this year!”
Find a fund you love
The great thing about Love Your State is that it encourages alumni, faculty and staff, friends of the university and even current students to put their money where their heart is. Each of CSU’s eight colleges identifies a highlighted funds for specific needs, and numerous central units, such as Morgan Library, Athletics and 
others, target funds that impact the general student population and the community.
Among the featured funds are Rams Against Hunger, which provides qualifying students with dining center meal cards for one meal daily. Another, School is Cool, provides supply-filled backpacks for underprivileged K-12 students in Poudre School District. Still another supports scholarships for CSU’s Native American students.
Challenge gifts
In addition, several colleges are featuring “challenges” – gifts from donors that can be attained if certain goals are met.
The College of Business has a challenge that will unlock a $50,000 gift to the James and Angela Mitchell Renewablue Green Real Estate Scholarship when donors support the Career Management Center Student Professional Development Fund. Another $50,000 gift will be unlocked when donors support the Pigford-McKinney Scholarship Endowment in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. And Jeff McCubbin, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, has offered a $25,000 gift when donors support the McCubbin Leadership Scholarship or the CHHS College-wide Research Fund.
If you can’t wait until April 19th to make your gift, or if you’ll be offline that day, you can make your gift early at the Love Your State site.
Eat, drink and be helpful
Finally, you can support CSU throughout April by dining at the Rio Grande Restaurant in Fort Collins. Every Wednesday, the Rio will donate 10 percent of its sales to support Rams Against Hunger. And Intersect Brewing in Fort Collins will host a celebration from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 19. Attendees not only can enjoy Intersect’s new Love Your State Pale Ale, $1 from every glass of the special brew will support the CAM Forever Fund. Preregistration is recommended.
