During October, Crowdfund UC Davis continued to push boundaries with new and returning projects that ranged from student support to broadening diversity, equity and inclusion; providing research opportunities for students and more.

The cohort saw success with 662 gifts for 26 projects, raising over $90,000. Nine projects met or exceeded their fundraising goals, and four reached over 80% of their goal.

Window to the Coast: The Bodega Marine Laboratory exceeded expectations as they raised 56 percent above their goal. The team raised funds to add an additional webcam on the roof of the lab that will display a view of the open ocean. The upgraded webcam will bring the wonders of the Bodega Marine Reserve to the world, giving folks the opportunity to check weather and ocean conditions, spot local wildlife and soak in the mesmerizing ocean view.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to the community of supporters who have made it possible to upgrade the Horseshoe Cove webcam. Every donation, big or small, has a huge impact on public access and research efforts at the laboratory and on the reserve,” shared the Project Team leaders, Moose O’Donnell, John Lagier, Kristin Aquilino and Suzanne Olyarnik.

A student-run club, Formula Racing at UC Davis, joined Crowdfund for the fourth time to raise funds to help design, manufacture from scratch and compete in a fully electric racecar. The team said this year’s support will help them bring a winning car to their competition.

“Our group of passionate student engineers is excited to see this project come to life by physically manufacturing it and gaining hands-on experience,” shared Project Leads Tristan Pham, Heather Lin and Anjana Balaji. Formula Racing raised $2,505 from 16 supportive donors, exceeding its original goal by 25%.

Across campus, the Law Students Association: A Case for Basic Needs, a first-time project, saw great success in their efforts, raising $10,560 from 68 donors which was an incredible 322% over their original goal of $2,500.

“The funds will help us continue providing non-perishable items for our community food pantry, purchase bookshelves for the book borrowing program, and expand our professional clothes closet. We are so grateful to our donors for their support,” shared project lead, Brenda Quintanilla Lopez.

Other projects that met or exceeded their goals this October:

• Support the Mobile Health Clinic
• Support Biodiversity Museum Day
• A Tyrannosaurus rex skull for UC Davis
• STEM for Girls: Empowering Girls & Gender-Expansive Youth
• Global Community Emergency Fund
• American Society of Civil Engineers

Children’s Hospital Toy Drive is live

Each year the UC Davis Children’s Hospital raises money to provide holiday gifts to every child spending the holiday season in the hospital. This annual Crowdfund UC Davis event, which runs from early November through Dec. 24, also helps the hospital stock toys, crafts, books and electronics year-round. These materials are used in play spaces, to engage patients at their bedsides, and to help celebrate developmental milestones. Gifts given at https://crowdfund.ucdavis.edu/toydrive will support the Child Life program at the hospital, clinics, and MIND Institute. Last holiday season the project raised almost $29,000.

February applications open

Crowdfund UC Davis takes place in October and February each year and has raised more than $782,839 since its debut in February 2020. Applications for our February Cohort are open through Nov. 30 at https://crowdfund.ucdavis.edu/submit-application. Apply today to turn your great idea into reality.

The Annual and Special Gifts Program in Development and Alumni Relations works with Advancement Services to review applications for Crowdfund UC Davis. They provide teams with access to the Crowdfund UC Davis platform, as well as training, weekly guidance sessions and some email support for the program. The project teams themselves fuel the marketing and networking that lead to their fundraising success.