On April 29, CTS hosted its inaugural Day of Giving with a day full of online events and the opportunity for its community to #UniteInspireInvest in the seminary and its mission. Members of the community met the moment with an outpouring of gifts that help to ensure CTS’ ongoing service to the church and the world.
The 2021 Day of Giving was the first in what will be an annual tradition, building on the networks of CTS community members and their generosity. On April 29, CTS received the largest number of individual gifts on a single day in its history. What’s more, on the Day of Giving, CTS received gifts from the most diverse and widest range of its constituents, including alumni, staff, faculty, trustees, and friends, than it ever had over the course of a 24-hour span.
Kristin Champa, Vice President for Advancement, said that the breadth of giving from so many different members of the community “is a sign of wide-spread trust and belief in the institution. Our vibrant and varied community is clearly committed to the mission of CTS and its future as a thriving seminary. We are incredibly grateful for this amazing dedication and generosity.”
The 2021 CTS Day of Giving took place entirely online in the form of videos and livestreams on Facebook Live and YouTube. The day began with a welcome message from President David M. Mellott and included voices representing many aspects of the seminary’s life, such as members of the CTS alumni, the Faith & Action Project, the CTS Counseling Center, and the PhD program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric. Events included a virtual lunch dialogue about building a culture of generosity hosted by Prof. Frank A. Thomas and Aimée A. Laramore and an Alumni Speaker Series on “Therapy for Therapists: Preventing Caregiver Burnout,” which can be watched on the CTS Facebook page. The day’s events culminated in an evening alumni happy hour.
April Ervin, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, said that the community response to this year’s Day of Giving was “a celebration of CTS’ past and an investment in its promise—a clear commitment to supporting the legacy of CTS for years to come.”
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