Stroll near The Commons on most weekdays and you’ll see tables piled high with tasty baked goods. The students at these tables are asking for help – spare change, really – to fund their clubs’ latest and greatest pursuits in a way that hasn’t changed much since the university opened in 1966.

But now these passionate student appeals are getting a boost from the power of the people . . . and the internet. UMBC recently unveiled a new crowdfunding website that allows students to harness their personal relationships to bring in support for their own projects on campus. The site – which focuses on university needs as well as student causes – gives students a way to easily use social media to publicize, track and aggregate philanthropic campaigns.

“We are incredibly excited to work with student groups to help them understand the ins and outs of philanthropy through crowdfunding,” says Dayna Carpenter, UMBC’s director of annual giving. “Our students are very motivated to do good in this world, and this is an important element of their education.”

UMBC’s crowdfunding site already boasts colorful channels to help student causes. Visitors can help the SAE Mini Baja team get to their next competition, help the Down and Dirty Dawg Band produce their next CD, or even send students from Engineers Without Borders to Kenya to dig wells.

“Without the help and support of things like our fundraising page, we wouldn’t be able to receive stipends, buy new equipment, pay for instrument repairs, or put out CDs,” says Drew Ballantine, a UMBC senior and member of the Down and Dirty Dawg Band. “These donations allow us to continuously grow by doing more things each year, like adding more performances or playing new music.”

Donors can also support university giving that directly benefits current students, including LGBTQ initiatives on campus or the Stay Black and Gold Fund for those who have emergency financial needs.

“I love the crowdfunding model because it gives us the chance to give back to what we really care about,” says Chris Magaha ’03, information systems management. “And you can see exactly where the money is going to go.”

And that’s exactly why UMBC made the venture into crowdfunding. It gives students a chance to share their projects with the world and get the support they need, while donors can find projects they’re passionate about and see their gifts have an immediate impact.

“The crowdfunding site really is the best of all worlds,” says Dayna. “Even though it’s still new, people have responded very positively. We’re eager to see how this effort continues to grow.”

Check out our featured crowd funding initiatives.

Since UMBC opened its doors in September of 1966, a lot has changed. Thanks to donors like you, this place has grown and expanded in unbelievable ways. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the focus on a well-rounded college experience. From sunrise to sunset, UMBC hums with activity. Students shift from class, research and creative endeavors to sporting events, festivals and concerts. They work together everyday to build a vibrant and dynamic campus community. Just like there is no typical day at UMBC, there is no typical UMBC student. So we thought you might enjoy the chance to catch a glimpse at today’s UMBC through the eyes of one of those students, Tolu Omokehinde, a Meyerhoff Scholar and Biochemistry major with a passion for time lapse photography.

Take a moment to invest in students like Tolu.

There’s a bench just outside UMBC’s Public Policy building. It’s a quiet, unassuming bench. But if you take a moment to read its engraved plaque, you’ll see there’s a story behind that bench — a story about a man named Jim Kruger.

Jim is a 2013 graduate of UMBC, but in many ways, he’s very different from his classmates. For starters, Jim’s a grandfather. He came to UMBC through Maryland’s Golden ID program, which helps people over 60 return to school to earn or complete a degree.

When he graduated from high school, Jim went straight to the Community College of Baltimore County. But, in the way that it does, life happened. Jim and his wife Kathy got married and had kids. As any parent knows, working and raising a family takes time and energy, and so Jim left school to devote himself to raising his beautiful family and running his own business. But as his kids got older and he moved into retirement, Jim had an idea.

“As I watched my daughters graduate [from college],” he says, “I realized, ‘I should do that, too.’”

He went back and finished his associate’s at CCBC, then decided he’d seize the chance to transfer to UMBC and earn his bachelor’s degree. He met with an admissions counselor and decided to study political science. He still remembers his very first class with Professor Laura Hussey. “She owned the classroom,” he recalls. “I was so impressed with her.”

Jim found that he loved being in the classroom. In particular, he enjoyed the wide range of perspectives and experiences that his classmates brought to the coursework. He found himself with a whole new group of friends and mentors.

Jim also got involved outside the classroom. “I took advantage of the full range of the UMBC experience,” he says. He and his wife regularly attend theatre productions and he likes to take his grandsons to basketball games. It’s no surprise how integral he became to the UMBC community.

When Jim walked across the stage to receive his diploma in May 2013, Kathy knew she wanted to commemorate the occasion with a meaningful gift. She settled on a bench, which would beautify the campus and give Jim a place to rest when he was walking between classes, since he had decided to continue on as a graduate student at UMBC.

“He’s enjoyed being here,” says Kathy. “To me, it was a nice connection.”

Jim, of course, loves the bench. “It’s the perfect gift,” he says. “That’s community–it makes people linger and talk.”

Learn more about how you can invest in UMBC.

Thank you so much to everyone who made a gift to UMBC and our awesome student projects on #GivingTuesday! It was an incredible day for philanthropy–both throughout Baltimore and across the country–and we are proud to have been a part of it. We already knew that Retrievers are some of the best and most loyal folks, but you proved it all over again with your support on December 3.

Here’s a quick update on our featured #GivingTuesday projects:

Thanks to you, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has raised $1,535 toward their January trip to Isongo, Kenya. They still need to raise a bit more, but we’ve made a good start. We hope you’ll help us spread the word and continue to gather support for EWB.

Success! Thanks to your support, the Down and Dirty Dawg Band not only reached their goal of $2,500, but have exceeded it by over $300 (via online and offline donations). Additionally, their CD, “Black & Gold” is now available for purchase online.

So far, you’ve helped us raise $500 toward new projects and initiatives for our LGBTQ students. With that money, UMBC will be able to fund a few workshops or guest lectures on campus. It’s a great start, and we hope to raise more in the coming months.

Thank you for your continued support!

We’re just ONE day away from #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving tomorrow, December 3rd. The UMBC community is working to change the world, and on #GivingTuesday, you can help them do it.

Throughout the past month, we’ve shared stories of how our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are making a difference. We took a peek at how the Engineers Without Borders group will bring clean water to Isongo, Kenya. We tapped our feet to songs that will be on the Down and Dirty Dawg Band’s new CD. And we learned about UMBC’s mission to create a more inclusive campus through LGBTQ programs and initiatives.

Here are just a few things the people involved with those projects had to say:

“Engineers Without Borders-UMBC relies on gifts to fulfill our mission of implementing environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing globally aware and internationally responsible students and engineers. We especially appreciate gifts from alumni because we believe that EWB-UMBC not only promotes projects in the developing world, but also transformative experiences for UMBC students.”

~Lee Blaney, assistant professor and advisor for EWB

“[Your support] means the world to the band. If you’re an alumni of the band and had a great experience, your donation will help ensure that the next generation of students have the same positive experience.”

~Matt Basch ’08,  ’10, Director, Down and Dirty Dawg Band

“To support UMBC as an alum is a no-brainer. As a student, I felt the positive impact [of donor support], and I want to live up to Dr. Hrabowski’s motto that of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

~Chris Magaha ’03, donor to LGBTQ programs & initiatives

They’ve had their say. Now it’s your turn.
Will you join us in making a difference on #GivingTuesday?

‘Tis the season to give thanks. And we are thankful for you, our wonderful donors! We hope that you and your loved ones have a great Thanksgiving!

Finding Yourself at UMBC
It’s no secret that college is a time of self-exploration and growth. During their time at UMBC, students discover what they’re passionate about and what they want to do with their lives. They make friends, they fall in love, they begin.

That experience is no different for the many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students at UMBC, whether they’ve been out for years or are in the midst of figuring it all out. And that’s why it is so important that we, as a campus community, show our support and offer programs and resources for all of our students.

“I came out on campus,” says Chris Magaha ‘03, information systems management. “It was my first experience being out to friends, it was when I had my first boyfriend. And as much as you’re around people in college, it can be lonely and isolating if you don’t know if what you’re feeling is normal.”

Chris Magaha ’03, information systems management

Providing the Support Students Need
Chris turned to the Freedom Alliance, a student-run organization founded in 1995 that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students, faculty, staff and their allies. In that group, he found the support he needed, and made friends and memories he still carries with him today.

“Every student should feel like they are wanted, accepted and belong. I always felt that way [at UMBC],” says Chris. That environment of acceptance and diversity, he maintains, has been fostered at every level of the campus community.

“The tone is set from the top,” says Chris. “Dr. Hrabowski stands behind this [focus on inclusion] and sets the standard. We really do want everybody to belong here.”

Fostering a Diverse and Welcoming Community
The focus on creating a welcoming community is not new at UMBC, says Susan McDonough, assistant professor of history, one of the many LGBTQ advocates on campus.

Susan McDonough, assistant professor of history

“There’s a long history of LGBTQ activism at UMBC,” she explains. Over the years, that activism has taken a variety of forms, most recently through the creation of the LGBT-Faculty and Staff Association.

Another key project driven by faculty and staff is the OutList, an online list of faculty and staff members who self-identify as LGBTQ and have chosen to be included in this virtual space.

The OutList has been an incredible and highly visible demonstration of UMBC’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, says Susan, but she’s already focused on how we can continue to expand on that work.

Increasing Our Impact
And so UMBC continues to grow and expand its offering of LGBTQ-focused initiatives. Zach Kosinski, the graduate coordinator for LGBTQ Programs in The Mosaic: Center for Culture & Diversity, helps organize many of these essential–and life changing–programs.

“Every student who is dedicated and works hard to get an education and do something meaningful with their lives should have the support they need to do that,” he says. “That’s why we [Student Life] provide all these different services.”

Today, students have access to things like gender neutral housing, the Queer Student Lounge, an LGBTQ library and a range of LGBTQ-focused speakers. They can also get support from groups like Spectrum, Between Women and QUMBC.

“It’s incredible to hear the stories of the obstacles they [LGBTQ students] face while still being really high achievers,” says Zach. Many of those same students, he says, are greatly in need of and appreciative for the wide range of services UMBC offers. But there’s still more work to be done.

How You Can Help Us Change Lives
Our faculty, staff, students and alumni dream big: Zach and his team would like to build the Queer Student Lounge into a true resource center, beginning with  card-swipe access, computers, and a more robust LGBTQ library. Chris speaks to the need for even more LGBTQ-focused career preparation to help students navigate the working world. And Susan would like to see a named LGBTQ lectures series on campus.

Right now, these are just ideas. But your support can turn them into a reality. Your gift to LGBTQ projects and initiatives like these can–and will–change lives.

“To support UMBC as an alum is a no-brainer,” says Chris, who has given in support of the LGBTQ projects. “As a student, I felt the positive impact [of donor support], and I want to live up to Dr. Hrabowski’s motto that of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Change Lives Today!

Learn more about some of the LGBTQ Groups and Projects at UMBC:

• Freedom Alliance
• QUMBC
• Queer Student Lounge
• OutList
• You Can Play
• LGBT-Faculty/Staff Alliance
• SafeZone
• Spectrum
• Between Women
• Career Services

Make Baltimore the Most Generous City in America: #GivingTuesday’s mission is to create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations like UMBC. This year, we’re partnering with a number of local organizations in our own #GivingTuesday effort, the “Bmore Gives More” movement. Our goal? To raise $5 million collectively in support of all of Baltimore’s amazing charitable and non-profit organizations.

The Down and Dirty Dawg Band – UMBC’s pep band – is not only known around campus, but nationally, as well. Making appearances on Good Morning America and The Today Show, their mission is to spread school spirit and celebrate the power of music. On December 3, a national day of giving, you can help them reach their dream.

We talked with three members of the band (Matt Basch ’08, information systems and ’10 M.S., information systems, Director of the UMBC Down and Dirty Dawg Band; Paul Swenson ’06, computer science, Producer; and Drew Ballantine, a UMBC senior, member) to see why they love being a part of it and how you can help.

Q: What is the purpose of the pep band and why is it important?

Paul: The pep band is a musical and marching ensemble sponsored by Athletics that provides its members with a chance to perform fun tunes, become engaged with school spirit at UMBC sporting events and even earn some money through part-time employment opportunities.

Matt: The mission is to support the Athletic Department and the university through music and spirit. Whether it’s 20 degrees and snowing during one of the winter basketball games, or 100 degrees with the sun blazing during the Catonsville and Arbutus 4th of July parades, you’ll experience unbridled enthusiasm and exceptional playing from this band.

Q: Why is music important?

Matt: I can’t imagine life without music. The emotional and inspirational impact is incredible and something I witness in the band every day. Throughout a sporting event, the music we play gets the sports teams and fans pumped up. When the game is over, the band plays our Alma Mater and everyone stands with pride and respect for the university.

Q: Why did you become involved?

Drew: The drumline is actually one of the reasons I chose to come to UMBC. As Senior Captain of UMBC’s drumline, it’s been amazing to see how it has grown and improved.

Q: What does the support of the alumni, community, and donors mean to you?

Matt: It means the world to the band. If you’re an alumni of the band and had a great experience, your donation will help ensure that the next generation of students have the same positive experience. If you’re a parent of a student in the band and have seen the positive impact its had on your child, your donation will help pass those positive experiences on to the next students. If you’re a community member and have heard the band perform, your donation will help continue making that experience available to the [rest of the] community.

Drew: The pep band is a huge part of UMBC’s culture. Without the help and support of the community, we wouldn’t be able to receive stipends, buy new equipment, pay for instrument repairs, or put out CDs. These donations allow us to continuously grow by doing more things each year, like adding more performances or playing new music. I think it’s awesome that people want to donate and help our cause. It feels really good to give something back to the audience. And now they don’t have to wait for basketball season to listen to us play!

Yes, I want to support UMBC’s Down and Dirty Dawg Band and help make music!

If you spend any time at UMBC, it doesn’t take long to realize that Retrievers are remarkable people. They are smart and creative and they care about their communities.

We are so proud of and thankful for those who give of their time, talent and treasure at UMBC, in our community, and around the world. So, in honor of National Philanthropy Day, we wanted to recognize just a few of the ways that Retrievers give back:

Denene Yates ’10,  health administration
Yates, a Newcombe Scholar, has made a career of helping others. During her time at UMBC, with the aid of a professor, she founded a non-profit organization called Safe House of Hope in the Curtis Bay. Through this, Yates works to assist sex-trafficking victims and those engaged in prostitution in their efforts to become vital, healthy members of the community. Her work has been so critical that she was named a 2013 fellow of the Open Society Institute – Baltimore.

Lee Blaney, assistant professor, and the students of Engineers Without Borders-UMBC
Blaney and the student members of Engineers Without Borders are changing lives across the globe. This January, they’ll travel to Isongo, Kenya, to install a clean water system to provide sanitation and hygiene information to the residents. “Helping communities in need is exactly why the students in this group give so much of their time and energy. Engineers Without Borders projects are great because the ultimate goal is to give the project over to the community,” explains Michael Brown, a student engineer. Learn about the project (and how you can help!).

Visual arts students and associate professor Stephen Bradley
Bradley and his students became mentors and brought art into the community through a mural project with Masonville Cove and students at Benjamin Franklin High School. Students worked on various designs for the mural that would remind the visitors to MCEEC of the fragile ecology of the place and to improve the visual landscape. Throughout the creation of the mural, the UMBC students found themselves talking and making art with the BFHS students working through their anxiety and contending with other obstacles they face in their lives.  Learn more about the project.

Madie Eshete ’07, biological sciences
For many of us, a 30th birthday celebration means balloons, presents and parties with friends and family. For Eshete, however, the milestone birthday meant a lasting change for hundreds of rural Ethiopians without access to clean water. A first-generation Ethiopian-American, Eshete raised more than $10,000 for charity:water, which aims to help an estimated 800 million people worldwide without access to clean water by providing freshwater wells, rainwater catchments, sand filters and other lasting solutions. Read more.

Rugby alumni
UMBC Rugby players past and present joined together for the first UMBC Rugby Day of Service, partnering with Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake and Habitat for Humanity Sandtown to demolish and clean up one site, and to build a new home on another.  Close to 30 players from the men’s and women’s club participated. “As an organization, we were looking for an event that would allow us to bring all of the teams together, past and present, to do something positive in the greater Baltimore community,” said Tracy Williams, Jr. ’06. Learn more.

How do you give back to your community?

Tell us on Facebook or Twitter!