CSM Begins Countdown for November 30 Giving Tuesday Event; Asks for Community’s Continued Support

CSM Begins Countdown for November 30 Giving Tuesday Event; Asks for Community’s Continued Support

The countdown for the world’s biggest day of generosity has begun and the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Foundation is among the nonprofits readying for Giving Tuesday, a 24-hour, online giving event scheduled for Nov. 30. The international day of giving follows Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, to highlight a season and spirit of kindness that focuses on giving to others after three days fixated on consumerism.

All monies raised during CSM’s Giving Tuesday event will champion student success by supporting scholarships, athletics or the Hawk Feeder micro-pantries and Hawk Pantries.

“Our Southern Maryland friends and neighbors have always gone above and beyond in support of our students, and we are grateful,” said CSM Foundation Executive Director Chelsea Clute. “This Giving Tuesday, we are asking for the community’s continued show of support to help change lives here in Southern Maryland.”

“It meant so much to receive scholarships from CSM because it allowed me to pursue my education,” shared Llana Coloma ’20. “I worked part time while studying at CSM, so receiving scholarships allowed me to concentrate more on my education. I am so thankful that I was able to pursue my dreams.”

This year, CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy has introduced a new opportunity – and challenge – by establishing the Distinguished Professor of Equity in Education program and pledging to match gifts to this fund, dollar for dollar.

“The College of Southern Maryland is social justice through education,” Murphy explained. “CSM exists solely to provide programs and services that support the social and economic mobility of people in the Southern Maryland region.  It is equity in action, and the root of that action is in the classroom, irrespective of discipline, in the interaction between professors and students. This is hard work and requires the continual support and professional development of excellent and committed faculty. One means to facilitate that professional development is through the Distinguished Professor for Equity in Education program and I am challenging our communities and specifically our faculty and staff to join me in building this fund.”

Plan to make an impact in the community by donating to CSM scholarships and programs. Gifts of every size, contributed on Giving Tuesday by people like you, will help change lives here in Southern Maryland. Donors can double their impact by donating to a matching fund. For more information on how to become a matching donor, email csmfoundation@csmd.edu.

• Jaycee Lynn Vermillion Memorial Scholarship | Krista Vermillion will match the first $1,000 donated to this fund, which supports second year nursing students.
• JLG Dream Investments Scholarship | Jennifer Lesesne and James Graves will match the first $300 donated to this fund, which supports business and information systems students.
• Josephine S. Williams Memorial Scholarship | The Family of Jo Williams will match the first $5,000 donated to this fund, which supports returning adult students.
•  Melissa Ann Solms-Baruth Memorial Scholarship | The Solms Family will match the first $2,000 donated to this fund, which supports returning adult students.
• Pam Starkey Cancer Survivors and Friends Memorial Scholarship | Chelsea Clute will match the first $1,000 donated to this fund, which supports students who are cancer survivors or who have lost a parent to cancer.
• Peter Cangelosi Memorial Scholarship | The Cangelosi Family will match the first $1,500 donated to this fund, which supports students majoring in a medical field.
• Southern Maryland Women's League Scholarship | SMWL will match the first $3,000 donated to this fund, which supports students who are single parents or children of a single-parent household.
• Zonta Club of Charles County Fund | The Zonta Club of Charles County will match the first $2,000 donated to this fund, which supports students who are experiencing hardship that impacts their ability to begin or continue their academic education.

Participants can also donate during the ‘Power Hours’ at 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. and be entered to win prizes. Special challenges for alumni, staff, and current students will take place throughout the day. Learn more about Giving Tuesday at CSM by visiting online at https://www.givecampus.com/3vwy2v.

The Giving Tuesday movement was established to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Created in 2012 as a simple idea: Giving Tuesday is a 24-hour giving event that encourages people to do good by giving, collaborating, and celebrating generosity. 

The CSM Foundation, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 charitable organization established in 1970, helps increase access to higher education at CSM through scholarship funding and assures the excellence of that education by raising and managing funds for college projects and objectives – including workforce development in Southern Maryland. The CSM Foundation is comprised of a tri-county, all-volunteer board of directors. To learn more about the CSM Foundation or to donate, visit the CSM Foundation online.